According to data from the Ministry of Health and the Association for Cancer, about 15 patients die from skin disease each month in Israel • 92% were diagnosed with the disease early

• Early examination and detection of skin cancer improves the chances of recovery

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On average, about 150 new melanoma patients and about 15 die from the disease each month in Israel, according to data released Wednesday by the Ministry of Health and the Cancer Society for skin cancer awareness and early detection.

The data shows that in 2017 (the year with the most up-to-date data), 1,798 new patients with skin cancer were diagnosed in Israel. Melanoma accounts for 8 percent of cancers among Jewish men and 5.5 percent of cancers among Jewish women. And 0.7% among Arab men and 0.2% among Arab women.

How is melanoma diagnosed? // Photo: Association for Cancer War

An encouraging figure is that 92% were diagnosed with an early stage disease that significantly improves the chances of healing. In 2017, 186 people in Israel died of malignant melanoma. The highest mortality rates were observed in the 75+ age group. Among Arabs in Israel, the rates of skin melanoma mortality are very low.

The rates of patients in men and women are similar at a young age, and at age 55 the rate in men is higher than in women. Among Jews, the highest rates of morbidity were observed in European-American and Israeli-born.

In the National Cancer Registry, there is a marked upward trend in early-stage disease detection in women and men. This increase is attributed to actions and awareness of early detection.

Also, there is a moderate and significant increase of 0.65% annually in advanced stage skin cancer in men. In contrast, women have had a steady trend over the last 21 years.

As of the end of 2017, approximately 7,860 residents were diagnosed with melanoma. Life expectancy after skin cancer diagnosis has also been rising over the years: 88% of men and 90% of women diagnosed in 2007-2011 lived five years after diagnosis. This compares with 84% and 87%, respectively, in those diagnosed in 1997-2001.

A global comparison with the International Cancer Research Agency (IARC) for 2018 shows that Israel ranks low in morbidity and mortality from the disease. Israel was ranked 27th out of 30 in morbidity rates and 20th out of 30 in the death rate. This is a dramatic change for the better after in the 1990s, Israel was ranked 3rd in the world after Australia and New Zealand, in the new number of new skin malignant melanoma patients. 

On the occasion of Awareness Week, hundreds of skin cancer screening stations will be opened free of charge at all HMOs across the country on June 14 - 8, 2020. 

Cancer with a genetic background

According to Miri Ziv, Deputy Chairman of the Cancer Society: "These days, we are all happy to return to normal and stay in the open spaces, but it is important to remember that uncontrolled sun exposure can cause health, aesthetic and even life-threatening damage. Responsibility must be personal first and foremost, and we urge the public, at any age, to be smart in the sun throughout the year and thus reduce your risk of getting sick. It is very important - if you have a suspicious spot, a new stain or you notice a change in skin - apply for skin cancer awareness week. Pay attention and be monitored as needed. "

Prof. Little Keenan Booker, Director of the Center for Disease Control at the Ministry of Health, who collected the updated data explained that "the data shows some reasons for optimism, such as the fact that there is an increase in early detection of the disease, which most patients recover (five-year survival of over 85%), or that Israel On the other hand, worrying trends are not overlooked: men have seen a steady rise in morbidity rates over the past two decades, as opposed to stability in women, while at the same time the trend in men's mortality remains at a marked decline.

It is a cancer that has a genetic background and family predisposition, but also depends on lifestyle and behavior and is therefore preventable at a significant rate. That's why it's important to be responsible and considerate when exposed to the sun, especially when it comes to children or high-risk populations. In Israel, it is also important to mention men, in light of the observed trends. It is also important to contact the physician immediately in any case of suspected findings, because early detection has a significant impact on the efficacy of treatment and survival. "