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the findings, published in the canadian medical association journal , are the result of efforts by researchers to better understand and raise awareness of the risks presented by keratinocyte carcinomas, the most commonly diagnosed malignancies in the country. researchers analyzed data from the institute for clinical evaluative sciences — a community of research, data and clinical experts — from 1998 to 2017 and found that after a small decline in prevalence during the first five years of study, rates reversed course and became a troubling trend.
non-melanoma skin cancer accounts for around 28 per cent of all new cancer cases in the country, according to the public health agency of canada . around 75 to 80 per cent of these cases originate in the basal cells lining the top layer of the skin and are known as basal cell cancer (bcc). the remaining 20 to 25 per cent form in the squamous cells and are known as squamous cell cancer, or scc. because non-melanoma cancers are often successfully treated by dermatologists and do not require hospitalization, other statistics surrounding the disease are often estimates. it is thought that one in eight canadians will develop bcc in their lifetime and one in 20 will experience scc. both forms of the disease have a higher five-year survival rate than melanoma, a less common but deadlier form of skin cancer.
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“our findings highlight the importance of stratifying by age when evaluating differences by sex in a population,” said an-wen chan , a co-author of the study and professor at women’s college hospital and the university of toronto. “evidence suggests that males are more likely to have outdoor occupations and are less likely to engage in sun protective behaviours and females are more likely to seek a tan through artificial tanning booths and sun exposure.”
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dave yasvinski is a writer with healthing.ca
