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The skin is the largest organ in the body, and skin cancer is the most common of all cancers. There are three primary types of skin cancer - squamous cell, basal cell and melanoma. Of these, melanoma is the most dangerous, accounting for only 5% of skin cancer cases but responsible for the majority of skin cancer deaths.

The term “melanoma” is derived from the type of cell in which it affects called the melanocytes. Melanocytes produce the pigment of your skin, which is known as melanin.

A recent study in Cancer, a journal published by the American Cancer Society (ACS), reported a correlation between certain types of dental X-rays and a common, benign brain tumor called meningioma. In general, the study found that those with meningioma were twice as likely than those without meningioma to recall having a bitewing X-ray at some point in their lifetime.

Just last month, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) released updated cervical cancer screening recommendations. Similar guidelines were also published by a collaborative group consisting of The American Cancer Society (ACS), the American Society for Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology (ASCCP) and the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP).

On April 8, 1987, the U.S. House of Representatives’ Joint Resolution 119 designated the third week in April as National Minority Cancer Awareness Week.

Since then, groups across the country have used the week to draw attention to the unfortunate reality that certain subgroups of our population are disproportionately impacted by cancer.

We refer to these differences, or inequities, as “cancer health disparities.”