Experts: Thanks to education and new drugs, mortality from melanoma in Poland is decreasing

Thanks to years of education, earlier detection and the availability of new therapies, mortality from melanoma in Poland is falling, even though the number of cases of this cancer is still growing. Experts spoke about this Tuesday at a meeting on the occasion of the 14th Melanoma Awareness Week, which lasts until May 18.

This year it is celebrated under the slogan "5 letters that save lives!", which draws special attention to the so-called ABCDE of melanoma and secondary prevention, consisting of regular self-examination of moles and their inspection once a year by a dermatologist or oncologist.

The Chairman of the Scientific Council of the Melanoma Academy, which organizes the Melanoma Awareness Week, Prof. Piotr Rutkowski, Head of the Clinic of Soft Tissue, Bone and Melanoma Cancers of the Maria Skłodowska-Curie National Institute of Oncology – State Research Institute in Warsaw, emphasized that the number of new melanoma cases in our country is still growing. "When I started working, and that was 28 years ago, about 1,500 melanoma cases were diagnosed annually. Now there are 4,500, which is more than three times more," said the specialist. He added that the rate of growth of the disease has recently decreased.

In his opinion, it is very positive that the survival rate of melanoma patients is improving. "Although in the case of many cancers it is said that we are below the EU average, in the case of melanoma patient survival rate we are above the average," he emphasized. The data he presented shows that over the last eight years the five-year survival rate of melanoma patients has increased by 20 percentage points - currently around 90% of patients survive five years.

As explained by Prof. Rutkowski, this can be attributed to the fact that, thanks to the broad education provided by the Melanoma Academy, more and more cases of this cancer are detected at an early stage, when the chances of recovery are almost 100 percent. "The second thing is that we have access to increasingly effective therapies," the expert emphasized. He added that since the introduction of immunotherapy to the treatment of this cancer in 2011, it has become more complicated and individualized. He emphasized that virtually all modern drugs for melanoma are available in Poland.

"Although we currently have all the necessary tools to effectively treat patients with melanoma, we would like these patients not to have to use them at all. (...) We would very much like there to be as few of these patients as possible, and the problem of melanoma would be solved at the level of proper prevention," said Prof. Rutkowski, quoted in a press release sent to PAP.

That is why during this year's Melanoma Awareness Week, experts once again reminded us about the need for regular self-examination of our skin and moles.

"In addition to protecting your skin from the sun all day long, it is also good to look at it regularly. Any new or existing but changing mole should draw attention. And knowing its characteristic features will help in recognizing melanoma," explained Prof. Rutkowski. For simplicity, they are described using the initial letters of the alphabet ABCDE.

"A means asymmetry - a mole that spills out to one side. B, for jagged edges, describes a mole whose edges are not smooth, which is not round or oval. C means a red or black uneven color of the mole. D - means large size, i.e. a mole that is over 5-6 mm in size. E, in turn, is evolution; indicates a mole that has changed in a short time. It is growing, rising above the skin surface, cracking, chafing, burning, and around which several new moles have formed," listed Prof. Rutkowski.

He emphasized that if we notice a mole with any of these features, we should not delay a visit to a dermatologist. "Knowing our own moles, allowing us to notice a difference in their appearance, as a result of the development of cancer, or regular check-ups with a dermatologist or oncological surgeon apply to everyone, regardless of age, gender, profession or hobby," said the specialist.

Prof. Grażyna Kamińska-Winciorek, Head of the Skin Cancer and Melanoma Team at the Maria Skłodowska-Curie National Institute of Oncology – State Research Institute, Gliwice Branch, reminded us that we should not forget about ongoing skin protection against UV radiation, most often from the sun, because it damages the skin and increases the risk of skin cancer and melanoma. "More than four sunburns between the ages of 15 and 20 increase the risk of skin cancer by as much as 68 percent, and melanoma by as much as 80 percent," said the specialist.

She noted that as part of skin cancer prevention, we should: avoid the sun between 11:00 and 16:00, use sunscreens – preferably SPF30, and when traveling to warm countries SPF50. "We also wear hats, caps, choose clothing that covers our shoulders, wear glasses, and avoid solariums. Unfortunately, using solariums increases the risk of squamous cell carcinoma and melanoma several times over," listed Prof. Kamińska-Winciorek.

She emphasized that Poles usually have a low skin phototype, i.e. I or II, which is characterized by fair skin, blond or red hair, numerous freckles, as well as a tendency to sunburn and a lack of or poor ability to tan.

This places us in a high-risk group for developing melanoma, which is why we should pay special attention to prevention, experts concluded. (PAP)

Science in Poland

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