Utah's already-high melanoma rate spikes again
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Utah has the nation's highest rate of melanoma cases, per the CDC — and rates are rising way faster than in the rest of the country.
Why it matters: Melanoma, while rare, accounts for the overwhelming majority of skin cancer deaths, according to the American Cancer Society (ACS).
By the numbers: Utah saw 46.1 new melanoma cases per 100,000 people in 2023 — compared to a national rate of 25, according to the most recent data compiled by the CDC and NCI.
- Utah's rate has nearly doubled in the past two decades, up more than 22 new cases per 100,000 people since 2003. Nationally, rates rose by less than 8 cases during that time.
Caveat: It's not just that there's more disease.
- More aggressive screening is catching skin cancers that might have gone undiagnosed years ago, Anthony Rossi, a dermatologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering, told Axios' Carly Mallenbaum.
Yes, but: Rates have also risen each year since 2020 in Utah and nationally.
The big picture: About three-quarters of Utahns are white, which makes the population more susceptible to skin cancer.
- Utahns also spend a lot of time outdoors, and the high elevation reduces our ozone protection.
Zoom out: Nationally, new invasive melanoma cases rose about 47% over the past decade, per the Skin Cancer Foundation.