Dermatology groups hope to see U.S. surgeon general extend skin cancer call to action

Key takeaways:

• In 2014, the U.S. surgeon general declared skin cancer a public health crisis and released a call to action.
• As skin cancer rates rise, dermatology leaders insist the call to action be renewed.

Leading dermatology organizations called on the U.S. surgeon general to continue its call to action to prevent skin cancer, the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery Association announced in a press release.

“With one in five Americans expected to develop skin cancer before the age of 70, skin cancer is an urgent and pressing public health issue affecting millions of Americans,” the association stated in the release.

In 2014, U.S. Surgeon General Boris Lushniak, MD, MPH, acknowledged the dangers of skin cancer by declaring it a public health crisis and releasing a critical call to action, which is a summary of documents that provides strategies to solve urgent public health problems health in the U.S, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

According to the release, the 2014 call to action was successful; however, skin cancer remains the most common cancer in the U.S., with rates that surpass that of breast, colon, lung and prostate cancers combined.

As a result, the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery Association (ASDSA), in conjunction with the American Academy of Dermatology, the National Council on Skin Cancer Prevention and 21 other leading dermatologic associations and skin cancer prevention organizations are urging the U.S. surgeon general to release a strategy combatting the risks for skin cancer including addressing ultraviolet ray exposure, sunscreen usage and misinformation spread on social media platforms.

“Skin cancer remains the most common cancer in the U.S. with almost 5.5 million cases diagnosed in Americans each year,” Seemal R. Desai, MD, AAD president, said in the release. “It is essential that we raise awareness of the risks of sun exposure and the high incidences of skin cancer.”

Reference:

• Reports and publications. https://www.hhs.gov/surgeongeneral/reports-and-publications/index.html. Updated June 17, 2022. Accessed Sept. 23, 2024.