The incidence of nonmelanoma skin cancers and actinic keratoses in South Florida

Abstract

Background: Incidence of nonmelanoma skin cancer and actinic keratoses appears to be increasing worldwide due to increasing levels of ultraviolet radiation, lifestyle changes, and an aging population. Because of its demographics and geographic location, the population of South Florida is at risk for high rates of nonmelanoma skin cancer and actinic keratoses.

Objective: To determine the incidence of nonmelanoma skin cancer and actinic keratoses in two populations in South Florida by measuring treatments by dermatologists in health maintenance organization gatekeeper populations.

Methods: The incidence of nonmelanoma skin cancer and actinic keratoses in South Florida was determined by evaluating the number of nonmelanoma skin cancers and actinic keratoses treated by dermatologists (Current Procedural Terminology [CPT] Code Analysis) in two health maintenance organization populations; "commercial" (age 0-65, mean 27) and Medicare (age 65+, mean 68) in the calendar year 1996.

Results: The incidence of treatment of nonmelanoma skin cancer was 466.5 per 100,000 people per year in the "commercial" (age 0 to 65) population and 10,689.8 per 100,000 people per year in the Medicare age population. The incidence of treated actinic keratoses was 4,464.6 per 100,000 people per year and 110,450.3 in each population respectively.

Conclusion: The studied populations in South Florida appear to have some of the highest incidence rates of nonmelanoma skin cancer in the world and extremely high rates of actinic keratoses. The findings suggest that there is an epidemic of nonmelanoma skin cancer in the South Florida community, which has significant implications for the future medical needs of both "commercial" and Medicare-age populations.

Figure 1

Frequency of specific type of nonmelanoma skin cancer in 1996 in South Florida