Melanoma in men and leukemia in women high in Swampscott

The December 2006 “Cancer Incidence in Massachusetts” report from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health again shows that Swampscott has a statistically significant increase in the number of men reported with melanoma (cancer of the skin) for the years 1999-2003 relative to the men in 351 other cities and towns in the commonwealth.

“In fact, the men in Swampscott get diagnosed with melanoma 173 percent more often than men in other towns,” the Board of Health noted this week. “This rate is even higher than the previous report from November 2005 when the rate of melanoma in men was 154 percent higher.”

New to Swampscott in this report is the higher incidence of leukemia in females with a 110 percent higher incidence. Twenty-one other types of cancer evaluated showed no statistically significant increase for men or women, however, considering all cancers combined, women showed a 14 percent increase relative to women in other towns.

The known risk factors for leukemia include ionizing radiation, exposure to benzene, treatment with chemotherapy drugs, certain genetic conditions such as Down’s syndrome and exposure to ethylene oxide.

The Swampscott Board of Health also issued this information about melanoma this week:

“No one knows the exact causes of melanoma. Doctors can seldom explain why one person gets melanoma and another does not. However, research has shown that people with certain risk factorsare more likely than others to develop melanoma. Still, many who do get this disease have no known risk factors. Studies have found the following risk factors for melanoma:

· Dysplastic Nevi: Dysplastic nevi are more likely than ordinary moles to become cancerous. Dysplastic nevi are common, and many people have a few of these abnormal moles. The risk of melanoma is greatest for people who have a large number of dysplastic nevi. The risk is especially high for people with a family history of both dysplastic nevi and melanoma.

· Many (more than 50) ordinary moles: Having many moles increases the risk of developing melanoma.

· Fair skin: Melanoma occurs more frequently in people who have fair skin that burns or freckles easily (these people also usually have red or blond hair and blue eyes) than in people with dark skin. White people get melanoma far more often than do black people, probably because light skin is more easily damaged by the sun.

· Personal history of melanoma or skin cancer: People who have been treated for melanoma have a high risk of a second melanoma. Some people develop more than two melanomas. People who had one or more of the common skin cancers (basal cell carcinoma or squamous cell carcinoma) are at increased risk of melanoma.

· Family history of melanoma: Melanoma sometimes runs in families. Having two or more close relatives who have had this disease is a risk factor. About 10 percent of all patients with melanoma have a family member with this disease. When melanoma runs in a family, all family members should be checked regularly by a doctor.

· Weakened immune system: People whose immune system is weakened by certain cancers, by drugs given following organ transplantation or by HIV are at increased risk of developing melanoma.

· Severe, blistering sunburns: People who have had at least one severe, blistering sunburn as a child or teenager are at increased risk of melanoma. Because of this, doctors advise that parents protect children’s skin from the sun. Such protection may reduce the risk of melanoma later in life. Sunburns in adulthood are also a risk factor for melanoma.

· Ultraviolet radiation: Experts believe that much of the worldwide increase in melanoma is related to an increase in the amount of time people spend in the sun. Artificial sources of UV radiation, such as sunlamps and tanning booths, also can cause skin damage and increase the risk of melanoma. Doctors encourage people to limit their exposure to natural UV radiation and to avoid artificial sources.

“Prevention is the key!” according to the Board of Health. “Avoiding exposure to known risk factors is an important step we can all take.”

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