Dr. Farma Discusses Skin Cancer Prevention and Treatment

In an ACS news release, Metropolitan Philadelphia CoC State Chair Jeffrey M. Farma, MD, FACS, recently offered tips for preventing skin cancer and understanding options for treatment.

Skin cancer is by far the most commonly diagnosed cancer, affecting an estimated 1 in 5 Americans in their lifetime, but it is also one of the most preventable types of cancer.

According to Dr. Farma, who chairs the department of surgery at Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and is surgical director of their Melanoma and Skin Cancer Program, it’s important to remember that anyone can get skin cancer, even if you don’t burn easily, and the disease is commonly diagnosed in both older and younger populations.

In fact, in adults 55 and older, rates of melanoma have increased by about 7% every year since 2011, and skin cancer rates have remained steady each year in younger people, according to the National Cancer Database. While highly preventable, melanoma is one of the deadliest of all skin cancers.