Melanoma costs U.S. billions in lost productivity

Washington, DC, United States (AHN) – A new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that melanoma skin cancer costs the U.S. economy about $8 billion a year.

The report said that more than 45,000 cases of melanoma, a deadly form of skin cancer, occurred every year between 2004 and 2006.

Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer, and melanoma is the third most common skin cancer – and the most likely to cause death. About 8,000 people die every year from the disease in the U.S.

Deaths caused by melanoma accounted for $3.5 billion in lost productivity every year. Deaths among men accounted for $2.4 billion of lost productivity, and deaths among women accounted for $1.2 billion in lost productivity, according to the study.

Researchers also said that a person who died of melanoma between 2000 and 2006 died 20 years prematurely, compared to 17 years from other cancers.

The report, “Melanoma Surveillance in the United States can be found at http://www.eblue.org/webfiles/images/journals/ymjd/MelanomaSupplementProof.pdf

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