The Midwest is a great place to live, but the winters can be long and gray. Minneapolis and Chicago, for example, each has about 280 cloudy or partly cloudy days a year. According to the Farmer’s Almanac, Michigan and Ohio are among the cloudiest states in America.
Winter days in the Midwest may get only about 9 hours of daylight compared to more than 15 hours in the summer.
So, you wouldn’t think skin cancer would be something Midwesterners would have to worry about. But incidence of skin cancer in Midwestern states have increased in recent years. And diagnoses of melanoma, by far the deadliest form of skin cancer have skyrocketed in Wisconsin and have increased in other nearby states.
In this article, we’ll examine:
- Melanoma in Illinois
- Melanoma in Michigan
- Melanoma in Minnesota
- Melanoma in Wisconsin
- Types of Skin Cancers
- Cutting Melanoma and Skin Cancer Risk
- Midwestern Cancer Screening
If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with melanoma and are looking for a second opinion, call us 24/7 at 844-662-1190.
Melanoma in Illinois
Illinois ranks almost dead center among U.S. states for the number of annual skin cancer diagnosis with 22 cases per 100,000 people.
But the number of new cases of melanoma in Illinois has risen considerably. According to the Illinois Department of Public Health, melanoma diagnoses increased from 17.9 per 100,000 in 2008 to 22.7 per 100,000 in 2017, when 3,288 new cases of melanomas were diagnosed in the state.
Melanoma in Michigan
Melanoma rates in Michigan are far below the national average, with fewer than 20 diagnoses per 100,000 residents a year. But the rate of new melanoma cases in the state has more than doubled since 1985.
In 2019, an estimated 3,300 new cases of melanoma were diagnosed in Michigan with 230 patients dying from the disease.
Melanoma in Minnesota
Minnesota has posted some of the coldest temperatures in the contiguous United States. But it also has one of the highest melanoma rates in the country, cementing the assertion that you don’t have to live in a sunny, warm-weather state to be concerned about your skin cancer risk.
Minnesota has the highest incidence rates of skin cancer and melanoma in the Midwest and the second highest rate of melanoma in the country. An average of 37 state residents per 100,000 are diagnosed with melanoma every year.
In a recent article, dermatologist David Pearson, assistant professor at the University of Minnesota Medical School, said more younger Minnesotans are being diagnosed with skin cancers than ever before.
“We’re seeing basal skin cancer in people in their mid- to late twenties and thirties,” Pearson said. "Historically that was something that we associated more with folks who are in middle to later part of middle age. That may be attributable to the exposure history that people have, such as tanning bed use or prolonged unprotected natural sunlight exposure.”
Melanoma in Wisconsin
Wisconsin is seeing the sharpest increase in skin cancer and melanoma cases in the Midwest.
According to an American Cancer Society report, the state saw a 90% increase in melanoma from 1995 to 2013, from 11 cases per 100,000 to 21. During that period. the number of melanomas diagnosed in the state each year jumped from 576 to 1,405.
“Between 2009 and 2013, approximately 1,370 Wisconsin residents were diagnosed with melanoma and 175 died from the disease each year,” the report says. “The number of melanoma cases in the state increased by 250% during that five-year period, from 576 to 1,405 cases.”
Melanoma Rates in Midwestern States
| State | Rate Per 100,000 | National Rank | Average Annual Count | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. | 22.7 | N/A | 86,630 | Stable |
| Minnesota | 37.3 | 2 | 2,447 | Stable |
| Iowa | 31.4 | 5 | 1,170 | Rrising |
| Nebraska | 28.7 | 9 | 622 | Stable |
| Ohio | 25.8 | 18 | 3,682 | Rising |
| Wisconsin | 24.3 | 23 | 1,735 | Stable |
| Illinois | 23 | 27 | 3,427 | Rising |
| Michigan | 20.4 | 38 | 2,496 | Rising |
Source: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Types of Skin Cancer
Skin cancer and melanoma occur when skin cells are damaged, in most cases by exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light. The type of skin cancer depends on the type of cells damaged.
For instance, basal cell carcinoma accounts for more than 75% of all skin cancers and occurs when basal cells, the flat, scaly-type cells on the surface of the skin become damage. It is highly treatable and rarely metastasizes.
Melanoma develops when melanocytes, the cells responsible for our skin pigment, become damaged. When these cells are exposed to UV light, they release a substance called melanin, which tans our skin. Prolonged exposure can damage these cells to the degree that they are no longer able to regulate their growth and division.
Even tiny melanoma tumors can cause widespread damage, spreading and forming tumors in multiple locations, including the lungs, liver, bones and brain.
“I think people regard melanoma as a very serious diagnosis,” says David Winchester, M.D., surgical oncologist at City of Hope® Cancer Center Chicago. “When I talk to a lay person about skin cancer, they frequently reference melanoma and that it can be a deadly disease.”
Other types of skin cancer include:
- Squamous cell carcinoma, the second most common type of skin cancer, accounting for about 20% of all diagnoses
- Merkel cell carcinoma, a very rare and deadly form of skin cancer that forms in the cells that help the skin feel touch. Pop singer Jimmy Buffet passed away from this disease earlier this year
Cutting Melanoma and Skin Cancer Risk
It’s hard to avoid the sun’s damaging UV light. UV rays can break through cloud cover on overcast days. Rays can penetrate car windows or bounce off buildings, beach sand and snowbanks.
So, the best way to reduce your skin cancer risk is to protect yourself from the sun, even on cloudy days. And it’s important for parents to protect their children from over exposure. Having multiple sunburns at a young age damages the skin and increases cancer risk.
Other risk factors for skin cancer include:
- Having fair or light-colored skin
- Having moles on the skin
- Inheriting conditions, such as xeroderma pigmentosum
- Being exposed to certain industrial or harsh chemicals
- Having a weakened immune system
There is one skin cancer and melanoma risk factor you can’t anything about: Age. Nearly half of new melanoma cases are diagnosed in patients between the ages of 55 and 74.
To help protect yourself from damaging UV rays and reduce your cancer risk:
- Avoid sun tanning and tanning beds
- Seek shade whenever possible, especially from late morning to mid-afternoon, when the sun's rays are the strongest
- Wear protective clothing, such as hats, long pants, long-sleeved shirts and UV-protected sunglasses
- Use sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 30 or higher
Midwestern Skin Cancer Treatment
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force has stopped short of recommending routine total body examination by a doctor for skin cancer, especially for those with no history of cancer and no known risk factors.
However, you should perform a self-examine for suspicious spots once a month and talk to your doctor or see a dermatologist if you find something suspicious. The American Academy of Dermatology shares helpful guidance and a body map to keep a record of suspicious spots.
Common skin cancers, especially basal cell carcinoma, are highly treatable and can be removed in a dermatologist’s office.
Melanoma, however, requires expert care from a medical oncologist or surgical oncologist, like Dr. Winchester, who has extensive experience treating the disease.
Immune checkpoint inhibitors have emerged as a common treatment for melanoma and are credited with a declined in melanoma deaths in recent years.
If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with melanoma and are looking for a second opinion, call us 24/7 at 844-662-1190.