Melanoma rates are highest in these states (not the ones you'd expect)
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New invasive melanoma cases rose about 47% over the past decade, per the Skin Cancer Foundation.
State of play: The states with the highest numbers aren't necessarily the sunniest. Differences in screening, demographics and behaviors like indoor tanning all help explain the rates.
By the numbers: For every 100,000 people, 24 new cases of this cancer were reported in the U.S. — up from previous years — according to the most recent data compiled by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and National Cancer Institute.
The big picture: It's not just that there's more disease.
- More aggressive screening is catching skin cancers that might have gone undiagnosed years ago, says Anthony Rossi, a dermatologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering.
The intrigue: Differences in state melanoma rates are driven in large part by population demographics.
- Melanoma is far more common in non-Hispanic White people, who make up about 80% of the population in North Dakota and Minnesota, compared with under 40% in California, American Cancer Society epidemiologist Ahmedin Jemal tells Axios.
- And rural workers are more likely to have outdoor jobs — and more sun exposure, ACS researcher Rebecca Siegel says.
Sun protection and indoor tanning habits also influence melanoma rates, Siegel says.
- New research suggests tanning bed use is linked to nearly triple the risk of melanoma.
Between the lines: Melanoma is the deadliest, but not only, type of skin cancer. Basal and squamous cell cancers are most common.
