Is Oregon a Hotbed for Melanoma?
Over the last 50 years, the global rate of melanoma incidence has increased dramatically, on average between 3-5 percent per year. In the US alone, almost 100,000 new cases of melanoma will be diagnosed in 2021. Until recently, overall mortality rates for melanoma have risen as well, but the combination of early detection and more effective immunotherapy for metastatic disease are changing this trend. As dermatologists, we aim for the timely diagnosis and removal of melanoma at its earliest stages, ideally doing complete skin checks of patients at highest risk.