Based on the results of a study conducted by the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), one in four people who have had a form of skin cancer known as melanoma do not use sunscreen while outside. Of these same melanoma survivors, 2% admit to using tanning beds and 15.4% reported rarely or never staying in the shade while outside. While these numbers may seem relatively small, they are actually quite large given melanoma survivors are nine times as likely to develop a second type of skin cancer.
The findings of this study are based on the results of a 2010 National Health Interview Study that looked at a cross-section of the U.S. population. The specific statistics posted in this article focused on a subset of the total population from the National Health Interview Study, and consisted of individuals who claimed to have had a history of melanoma. Of the total 27,120 survey respondents, 171 claimed to have had melanoma. In addition to possible problems that may have arisen from calculating statistics based on this relatively small sample size, there is also the issue of self-reporting. Because self-reporting is often biased, it is possible that not all 171 individuals actually had melanoma. Furthermore, it is possible that more than 171 out of the total 27,120 respondents had melanoma and simply did not report accurately.
While the article claims that one in four melanoma survivors don't use sunscreen while outside, the actual number reported is slightly higher, with 27.3% not using sunscreen. The percentage of melanoma survivors who don't use sunscreen while outside is slightly lower than the percentage of the general population who don't use sunscreen while outside, but only slightly. With 35.4% of the general public not using sunscreen while outside, there does not appear to be a statistically significant difference in sunscreen usage or the lack thereof between these two populations. Because there is a statistically significant difference in the chance of developing skin cancer between these two populations, one would expect a greater difference between the two populations rates of sunscreen usage.
http://todayhealth.today.com/_news/2013/04/08/17618200-1-in-4-skin-cancer-survivors-skips-sunscreen?lite
Colleen-
ReplyDeleteI have a quick question. Do you mean that one of four melanoma survivors STILL not wear sunscreen, even after surviving, or didn't wear sunscreen before diagnosis?
It would be interesting if the former is what you meant, because to me that would imply that there "nine times more likely of developing a second skin cancer" might be confounded with lack of sunscreen use.
Kathleen,
ReplyDeleteI understood the article to say one in four melanoma survivors still chose not to wear sunscreen. Furthermore, I think they are nine times more likely to develop a second skin cancer than are non-melanoma survivors. I would venture to guess that not wearing sunscreen would make them even more than nine times as likely to develop a second skin cancer.
Colleen,
ReplyDeleteI like the article you picked and the criticisms you made to the numbers. While I find the data and link relevant, i think it leaves place to a great amount of lurking variables that might explain the rate of melanoma in a population. For example, the altitude, weather and location might have a way greater influence in causing melanoma than suncreen might be able to reduce. There are also different kinds of melanoma that differ in nature. Maybe if there is a more complex study we can see the effects of suncreen and contrast the types of cancer.
Have a nice day