In 2020, 295 people died of melanoma in Norway. Only New Zealand has a higher mortality rate, and far more people are getting it now than before.
“Although the incidence of melanoma, also called mole cancer, is generally high in Scandinavia, only Norway is in the top three countries in terms of mortality rates,” the Norwegian Cancer Society wrote in a press release in connection with Skin Cancer Week 2022.
More men are dying from the disease than women. The incidence is just as high among men in the other Nordic countries, but the mortality rate is more than 40% higher in Norway. Worldwide, Norway is in second place when it comes to mortality, only surpassed by New Zealand.
“This is a position we do not want, and we must do more to detect cancer earlier, especially among men. That is why we are highlighting this in Skin Cancer Week,” Secretary-General Ingrid Stenstadvold Ross of the Norwegian Cancer Society stated.
The cause of the disease is mainly exposure to UV radiation from the sun and solarium.
Source : © NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today / #NorwayTodayNews
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Fair complexions should be kept out of excessive, direct, and increasingly harsh/unscreened sun radiation.
At least at one time, this was a U.S. government leaflet:
https://www.cvmc.org/blog/cancer/there-no-such-thing-healthy-tan
There are 2 extremes of complexion in my family. One is mine. Although I was snow white (with white-blond hair when a child), I tanned like an American Indian which was quite a contrast between my hair and my skin. And I have the black moles on my back to prove it. Same for my sister, 5 years younger.
My brother has translucently white skin and burns red like a lobster if exposed to any sustained sunlight. His oldest is the same, while his youngest two have the tannable dark German strain in our family and his wife’s.
My children back in the States both have tannable complexions, probably thanks to their mom who even has a once-secret touch of Jewish in her DNA … to my pleased surprise.
My children over here are at the different extremes – my daughter tans, and being a Scout that is very fortunate.
Fascinating thing, DNA.
Whether you tan or don’t – the exposure to uv and radiation has been the same, your risk of skin cancer is equally high. And you’ll wrinkle up just as much. Norwegians are sun lovers – being tanned is supposed to be ‘healthy’ (brun og fin!) well – not so, obviously. Skin cancer kills.