Skin cancer, the most common type of cancer, affects 3.3 million Americans each year, and one in five Americans will develop skin cancer during their lifetime.
Exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun is a leading cause of skin cancer. Melanoma, the most serious type of skin cancer, is quite prevalent in our upstate region, despite the low UV index relative to lower latitude states.
What might help explain this variability? Availability of primary care physicians to diagnose? Availability of specialists to treat? The presence of fine particulate matter in the air? See how all these data vary by county in the RocHealthData map room.
As we in upstate move into the days of more sunlight and more activity outdoors, remember the added risks that come with sun exposure. Visit the University of Rochester Medical Center Health Encyclopedia for more information on how you can combat these risks.