The National Health Fund warns against melanoma and reminds us of the basic rules of prevention. This cancer accounts for approximately 2 percent of all diagnosed cancers, but is characterized by rapid growth, high mortality and a strong tendency to early metastasis.
According to data cited by the Dolnośląski Provincial Branch of the National Health Fund, the incidence of melanoma doubles approximately every ten years. In 2022, the disease was diagnosed in more than 4,000 people. Women accounted for 55 percent of patients, while men accounted for 45 percent.
The risk increases significantly after the age of 40. Three quarters of all cases involve people aged 50 or older, and the highest number of cases is recorded after the age of 60. In 2022, nearly 1,400 people died of melanoma.
Melanoma can appear not only on the skin
The cancer most often develops on skin exposed to UVA and UVB radiation. It can arise both in an existing mole and on previously unchanged skin.
Melanoma can also occur in mucous membranes, including in the mouth, anus or vulva, as well as in the eyeball. Metastases can occur, among other places, in the lymph nodes, lungs and brain.
Who is particularly at risk?
The risk of developing the disease is higher among people:
- with fair skin, blond or red hair, blue eyes and many freckles,
- with a large number of moles,
- who have suffered sunburn, especially in childhood,
- who tolerate the sun poorly,
- who spend a long time in full sunlight,
- with cases of melanoma or other skin cancers in their family,
- who use tanning beds.
Examine your skin at least once a month
The National Health Fund recommends thoroughly examining your skin at least once a month and checking whether moles have changed shape, size or color. You should also pay attention to new lesions.
Itching, bleeding or cracking of a mole should also be warning signs. In such a situation, you should promptly see a dermatologist or an oncological surgeon.
In summer, it is worth avoiding excessive sun exposure between 11:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. The National Health Fund also recommends using sunscreen all year round, wearing protective clothing, sunglasses and headwear. You should also give up sunbathing in tanning beds.
Early detection provides a very high chance of recovery
In the case of melanoma, time is especially important. According to the National Health Fund, early diagnosis gives as much as a 97 percent chance of complete recovery.
Suspicious moles can be removed and sent for histopathological examination. If the examination confirms melanoma of the skin or mucous membranes, the patient may qualify for a drug program financed by the National Health Fund.
The program includes, among other treatments, immunotherapy and molecularly targeted therapy. Adults and adolescents aged 12 and over may use the treatment, provided they meet the medical criteria. The attending physician always decides whether a patient qualifies.
In Dolny Śląsk, the melanoma treatment program is provided by two facilities:
Dolnośląskie Centrum Onkologii, Pulmonologii i Hematologii
ul. Ludwika Hirszfelda 12 in Wrocław
and
Wojewódzkie Centrum Szpitalne Kotliny Jeleniogórskiej
ul. Michała Kleofasa Ogińskiego 6 in Jelenia Góra.