On September 16, UHS held a skin cancer screening day, during which a UHS team of professionals gave free screenings to 61 people and scheduled 38 follow-up appointments. Organized by the UHS Stay Healthy Center and UHS Dermatology, the event also included a discussion about screenings and different types of skin lesions, such as basal cell, squamous cell and melanoma.
- More than 1 million Americans are living with melanoma.
- Current estimates are that 1 in 5 Americans will develop skin cancer in their lifetime.
- In Broome County, the incidence rate of melanoma is 26.3 cases per 100,000 residents. This is higher than 17.9 in New York State and 20.7 in the U.S. due to the county’s higher percentage of seniors.
- The five-year survival rate for people whose melanoma is detected and treated before it spreads to the lymph nodes is 98 percent.
- Melanoma is the second most common form of cancer in females ages 15–29.
