Why Do Israelis Get Skin Cancer More Often?

This disorder, which initially begins with a small swelling on the skin, draws attention as the swelling grows and these swollen areas increase. In fact, skin cancer is a disease that is quite easy to detect, but sometimes when these symptoms are overlooked, it may be inevitable to encounter various disaster scenarios. Especially if you are Israeli!

Everything is ok so far but What is the main reason that brings Israel to the forefront in terms of skin cancer?

First of all, let’s briefly talk about what skin cancer is.

Color pigments called melanin, which give the skin its color, It is produced by skin cells called melanocytes. Skin cancer occurs as a result of the uncontrolled division and proliferation of these cells. This condition is also called melanoma or melanoma.

At this point, the first question that comes to mind is which factor or factors cause skin cancer. According to experts’ research approximately 90% of skin cancer casesIt is caused by too much exposure to the ultraviolet rays of our beloved sun.

Surprisingly, the rate of skin cancer worldwide is; This is much higher than the total number of patients with lung, breast and colon cancer combined. I guess we underestimate the sun!

There are also some situations other than the sun that trigger skin cancer. According to a study conducted in 2001, if a person has more than five sunburns and many moles, the risk of skin cancer increases.

When such a condition is diagnosed early, survival rate 98%is. We see that, as in most diseases, early diagnosis is of great importance in skin cancer.

On the other hand, people with a gene mutation called BRCA2 have a much higher risk of developing skin cancer, as well as other cancers. One in every 400 people carries the BRCA mutation.

So, if you ask what is the biggest reason why the skin cancer rate is so high in Israelis, the answer is that they are exposed to the sun a lot.

For example, from 2000 to 2003, approximately 100,000 Israelis were infected with the disease. Considering age and gender, skin cancer is much more common in men. Reports; 1 in 50 women face this disease, while men This indicates that the ratio is 1 in 34.

In 2003, Israel had the 3rd highest rate of skin cancer in the world, and the annual death rate from the condition that year was It has between 400 and 480 people.

Another interesting part is that the majority of cases with this disorder are Israelis of American and European descent is to create. So this disease is much less common among Israelis of Arab origin, according to the Ministry of Health.

In addition, these rates increased with the migration of Ashkenazi Jews, who had been living in Europe for generations, to Israel. Because in people with light skin, the melanin level increases even more and the risk of skin cancer increases. The remaining Jews are They are dark-skinned Jews who have been in Central Europe for 300 years and are from the Semitic people.

So, if the 3rd place belongs to Israel, which countries are in the first 2 places?

in 2003 Australia and New ZealandThese are the countries where skin cancer is most common in both genders. This is probably related to the high proportion of the population who have light skin and are exposed to the sun from early childhood.

But of course the population of these countries, It’s not just about local people. At this point, it is worth remembering that there are brown aboriginals in Australia and New Zealand, but the British migrated to these regions.

On the other hand, if we look at the situation in our country, skin cancer is the 2nd most common type of cancer in Turkey, with a rate of 7.1% in men and 8.8% in women in 1993 and 1994. In 1999, this rate decreased to 5th place among men with 5%. In 2003, the number of this disease in our country was It managed to drop to 1.3% with 126 people.

However, now the alarm bells have stopped ringing for Israel.

According to current data, the risk of skin cancer ranges from 3rd to 13th for men. For women, it dropped to 20th place. Efforts to raise awareness among its citizens played a significant role in this development, which is very important for Israel.

The government also launched a campaign under the name “Skin Cancer Awareness” to raise awareness about skin cancer and educate the public, and it is recommended to stay away from sunlight during the hottest hours of the day. It is very important to take precautions to protect the skin when exposed to sunlight. he emphasized.

In addition, Israeli researchers are developing ways to prevent the spread of cancer cells, although the mortality rate is quite low. The US-based Cancer Research Institute is also currently working to assist with the financial aspect of these researches. He is working with Israeli researchers.

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