At the end of May, the latest Annual Report to the Nation on the Status of Cancer was released, and it offered some encouraging news. The report included cancer statistics from the years 1999 through 2016, the most recent year statistics are available. The report was created by a consortium of the country’s top cancer organizations.

The updated annual report noted that US cancer death rates continued to fall during those years. It stated that overall, cancer death rates decreased 1.8 percent per year in men and 1.4 percent per year in women. This decrease continued am an ongoing trend in declining cancer death rates.

The report also noted that the rate of new cancer cases among men consistently fell between 2011 and 2015, decreasing two percent per year. This is good news after the rate of new cases increased between 1999 and 2008. The rate of new cancer cases in women, however, remained stable from 2011 to 2015.

In addition, the Annual Report to the Nation described progress in the battle against two major cancers, lung cancer and melanoma. Lung cancer gains were attributed to increasing declines in smoking. The reason cited for the improved success against melanoma was the development of new and better treatments for it.

There was some negative news in that report, however. It stated that cancers related to obesity, such as colon cancer, breast cancer in older women and uterine cancer, are on the rise. This should strike a chord in those of us who are struggling with excess weight.

The report also found that the incidence of cancer in women ages 20 to 49 rose an average of 1.3 percent per year. And cancer deaths in this age group were higher for women than for men. Apparently, we’re failing to get the cancer prevention message to these women.  Fortunately, their cancer death rates declined by about 1.7 percent per year from 1999 to 2016.

The American Cancer Society has its own annual report called Cancer Facts & Figures 2019. This report is a companion piece to Cancer Statistics 2019, a scientific paper that was published in January in the American Cancer Society’s CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians. In these publications, the Society estimates the numbers of new cancer cases and deaths in 2019.

According to Cancer Facts & Figures 2019, more than 1.7 million new cancer cases are predicted to be diagnosed in the United States in 2019, and approximately 606,880 Americans are expected to die of cancer this year. The number of new cases is the same as last year, but the number of deaths expected in 2019 is slightly lower, down from 609,640 estimated for 2018.

Cancer is the second leading cause of death among children ages 1 to 14 years, second only to accidents. Cancer Facts & Figures 2019 estimates that 11,060 new cases of cancer will be diagnosed in American children ages birth through 14 in 2019, and 1,190 deaths are predicted to occur. The report notes that childhood cancers have increased by 0.6 percent per year since 1975.

Tobacco use remains the most preventable cause of death in the US, despite declines in cigarette smoking. Cancer Facts & Figures 2019 reports that cigarette smoking among American adults ages 18 and older decreased from 42 percent in 1965  to 14 percent in 2017. Among high school students in the US, smoking decreased from 29 percent in 1999 to 8 percent in 2017.

Still, about 30 percent of all cancer deaths are caused by smoking. Cigarette smoking increases the risk of at least 12 types of cancer and may be a factor in two others. Secondhand smoke is also a risk factor for the development of some cancers. In 2014, 5,840 nonsmoking adults in the US were diagnosed with lung cancer as a result of inhaling secondhand smoke.

Most cancers have risk factors. Some are non-controllable, such as age, gender and family history. Other risk factors are controllable, such as smoking, being overweight and having a sedentary lifestyle.

You can reduce your risk of many cancers by modifying your controllable risk factors. This includes stopping smoking, eating a healthy diet, getting regular physical activity and maintaining a healthy weight.

In addition, follow your doctor’s recommendations for getting routine tests and screenings for various cancers. In many cases, uncovering cancer in its early stages means catching it when it’s most treatable and, in some cases, curable.

Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer in the US, affecting about one in five Americans by age 70. In fact, more people in the US are diagnosed with skin cancer each year than all other cancers combined. Fortunately, skin cancer is highly curable if detected early and treated properly.

Skin cancer starts in the three main types of skin cells: basal cells, squamous cells and melanocytes. Melanocytes, found in the skin’s middle layer, or epidermis, make the pigment melanin, which gives your skin its color.

Melanoma skin cancer develops when the DNA in melanocytes is damaged, usually by the ultraviolet radiation from the sun or tanning beds, and that triggers mutations in the genes. These mutations cause the melanocytes to grow out of control and form tumors.

Melanoma is less common than other types of skin cancers. It is almost always curable if caught and treated early, but if allowed to grow and spread, it can be deadly. In 2019, more than 192,000 Americans are expected to be diagnosed with melanoma, and more than 7,000 are expected to die from it.

Melanoma can develop anywhere on the body, but it is more likely to show up in certain areas. In men, it is most commonly found on the chest and back, while in women, the legs are most often affected. It also commonly occurs on the face and neck.

The exact cause of the genetic mutations responsible for the development of melanoma is still being studied. But researchers do know there are certain factors that put you at a higher risk for this skin cancer. These factors include:

• Having a lot of freckles, moles, age spots or large birth marks
• Having light skin that burns easily as well as light-colored eyes
• Having red or light-colored hair
• Being older (Risk increases with age.)
• Having a personal or family history of melanoma
• Getting a lot of sun exposure

According to the American Cancer Society, unusual moles, sores, lumps, marks or changes in the way an area of the skin looks or feels may be a sign of melanoma or another skin cancer. These changes may also be a warning that skin cancer might occur.

This biggest warning signs of melanoma are a new spot on the skin and an existing spot that’s changing. There are two common ways to evaluate a spot on your skin. One is the ugly duckling sign. Does the spot in question look different from all the other spots on your skin? If so, you should have it checked by a dermatologist.

The other way to evaluate a spot is the ABCDE method. Look for the following features in a  mole or spot on your skin:

There are several ways to treat melanoma. These include surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy and targeted therapy. Targeted therapy uses medicines to stimulate your immune system to recognize and destroy cancer cells more effectively. Several types of immunotherapy are available to treat melanoma.

Your best bet is to prevent melanoma in the first place. There are a few steps you can take toward that goal. An import first step is to limit your exposure to ultraviolet radiation. That includes exposure to the sun’s rays and tanning beds.

If you have to be in the sun, try to find shade between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m., when the sun’s at its highest intensity. And before you go out, remember this catchphrase “Slip! Slop! Slap” and Wrap. Slip on a shirt, Slop on sunscreen, Slap on a hat and Wrap on sunglasses to protect your eyes and the sensitive skin around them.

And don’t forget to regularly examine your skin for any new, unusual or changing moles or spots. Anything out of the ordinary that you discover should be further examined by your doctor or a dermatologist.

Take care of your skin, and it will take care of you.