Dr. Leigh Erin Connealy, MD@drconnealymd
Weird things about MELANOMA:
💡Melanoma in women aged 18–39 has surged 800 percent since 1970.
💡Melanoma often develop in places that rarely see the sun, like the middle of the back, the inside of the thigh, and the soles of the feet.
💡Fifteen percent of melanoma cases occur on the foot and ankle, areas that are usually covered.
💡Melanomas found on the feet are often the most advanced by the time they're detected.
💡Outdoor workers have lower rates of melanoma than indoor workers. A study published in The Lancet found that chronic sunlight exposure appears to have a protective effect. In other words, those who get consistent sun exposure have lower melanoma rates than those who spend most of their lives under artificial lighting.
💡Once melanoma spreads, the five-year survival rate plummets to around 15% to 20%.
💡High estrogen levels are associated with increased melanoma risk, and melanoma cells typically express estrogen receptors. One study found a 53% increase in melanoma risk in women on hormone therapy taking estradiol without progesterone. It’s no surprise that estrogen impacts skin cell growth, pigment regulation, and suppresses thyroid function.
💡A large-scale Norwegian study tracked over 50,000 men and women aged 16 to 56 between 1977 and 1992, revealing that women who consumed higher amounts of PUFA, especially through cod liver oil supplementation, had an increased risk of cutaneous malignant melanoma.
💡A study from Sanford-Burnham found that melanoma cells have an insatiable need for glutamine to feed their rapid growth, and when glutamine is restricted, melanoma cells stop proliferating and die.
