You might think states like California or Florida would lead the way in terms of skin cancer prevalence, but the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests that otherwise.
According to the latest data from the CDC, which dates back to 2012, Minnesota is actually one of the states with the highest rates of melanomas per 100,000 individuals. The national average suggests that 19.9 people out of 100,000 people in the US were diagnosed with skin cancer in 2012, but some states reported much higher and lower numbers. Surprisingly, Minnesota was in the Top 5 in terms of states with the highest rates of reported skin cancers. Here’s a look at the Top 5:
- Utah – 34.6
- Delaware – 29.7
- Vermont – 29.4
- Minnesota – 28.3
- Idaho – 26.9
Why So High in Minnesota?
The list doesn’t seem to make a lot of sense, as the states are located all over the US, and none of them are really known for their hot temperatures. The CDC didn’t say why these states had the highest rates of skin cancer development, but here are a couple of hypotheses.
- Minnesotans Don’t Realize The Extent of Sun Exposure – If you go to Florida, Texas or California, you expect to get a healthy dose of sunlight, so you plan appropriately. You’ll wear protective clothing and lube up on sunscreen, but oftentimes that gets overlooked in Minnesota. We get great weather here in Minnesota in the spring, summer and fall, but we don’t always remember to load up on the sunscreen.
- Elevation – Although the elevation here in Minnesota isn’t as high as some states out west, we still rank in the top half of states in terms of average elevation. The higher the elevation, the more sunlight, including ultraviolet radiation that causes skin cancer, that can reach the ground.
- Indoor Tanning – When the winter months come, many people try to keep their summer glow by visiting an indoor tanning salon. Unfortunately, overexposure to tanning beds can also increase our risk for skin cancers. All of the states listed in the Top 5 experience a winter season, so it’s possible that people in these areas are contributing to melanoma development by frequenting tanning beds.
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