TORONTO, June 6 (UPI) -- Almost 940 Canadians die of melanoma annually and 5,000 are diagnosed, but 50 percent don't check their skin often enough, researchers found.
A survey conducted by Angus Reid Strategies for the Canadian Dermatology Association revealed that most Canadians know what melanoma is and what it looks like -- a new or existing mole, freckle or spot that is changing in color, shape, or size.
However, when it comes to checking for skin cancer, 24 percent said they never check their skin and 31 percent said they check less often than every couple of months.
Dr. Cheryl Rosen, national director of the Canadian Dermatology Association's Sun Awareness Program, said people should check their skin once a month or every couple of months for signs of skin cancer.
"The good news is that people are actually very good at detecting melanoma on their own skin or that of a family member," Rosen said in a statement. "Research shows up to 70 percent of melanomas are first found by the patient themselves or close family members."
Eighty percent of Canadians were aware that having a lot of sunburns is a major risk factor for melanoma. However, 42 percent knew that having many moles or large moles is a strong risk factor too -- and 34 percent recognized that having skin that freckles or is unable to tan, or having red or blond hair, are also risk factors.
A randomly selected, representative sample of 1,013 Canadians was surveyed May 7 and May 8. The survey has a margin of error of plus/minus 3.1 percentage points.
