Melanoma Skin Cancer in Canada

History of Canada & Background

Information
Canada was discovered in 1534 by Jacques Cartier. Canada was then visited
by Europeans. Later, more Europeans went to visit, as the french settled
there. They traded a lot of their land with the British in 1763 and after the
American Revolution many British loyalists settled in Canada. Then, on July 1,
1867, Canada officially became a self governing country. Canada is located in
North America.

Canada has a population of 35.16 million people.

Canadas capital city is Ottawa, Ontario.
The largest city in Canada is Toronto.
Their currency is called the Canadian Dollar.
Their official languages are English and French
Canada also has a parliamentary system. In other words, they have a
monarchy which is a queen. Their Queen is Queen Elizabeth ll.
 Cancer in Canada & Why Its
Happening
Melanoma Skin Cancer is one of the fastest rising of all cancers
in Canada. Melanoma is the 7th most commonly diagnosed
cancer. Melanoma also happens to be the deadliest form of
skin cancer (causing more than 75 percent of all skin cancer
deaths). It is affecting over 6,800 people. The Canadian Cancer
Societys annual statistics report shows that the skin cancer
rates in the past two decades have increased. They estimate
that around 1,800 people, or maybe more will die from
melanoma this year. This is happening because of:
Ultraviolet Radiation: Too much UV radiation from the sun or
sunbeds can damage the genetic material or the DNA in your
skin cells. If enough DNA damage builds up over time, it can
cause cells to start growing out of control, which can lead to
melanoma skin cancer.
Another reason a person could have melanoma is simply
because it can be passed from one generation to another.
Natural Disaster or Manmade Problem?

Melanoma is due to a manmade problem

because no natural disaster can cause skin
cancer. There is something called
Immunotherapy that seeks to stimulate the
bodys own immune system to attack
melanoma cells. Interferon-alfa and
interleukin-2 are types of man-made proteins
that help immune system cells attack cancer.
 Effects & Symptoms
A good way to remember the signs of melanoma is the ABCDE rule, which means:

A = Asymmetry: one half of a mole or birthmark doesnt match the other half
B = Border: the mole has irregular, ragged, notched, or blurred edges
C = Color: the color of the mole is not the same all over and may have shades of
brown or black
D = Diameter: the mole is larger than 6 millimeters
E = Evolving: the mole is changing in size, shape, or color

Other warning signs for melanoma include:

A sore that does not heal
Spread of pigment from the border of a mole into surrounding skin
Redness or a new swelling beyond the border
itchiness, tenderness, or pain
Change in the surface of a mole (scaliness, oozing, bleeding)
 Treatment
Surgery: Surgery is typically the main treatment option for
melanoma. It is often is the only treatment necessary to cure
early-stage melanoma. This procedure removes the melanoma
along with a measured area of normal tissue as a precaution.
Chemotherapy: Chemo is a type of treatment that includes a
drug or combination of drugs to treat cancer. The goal of chemo
is to stop or slow the growth of cancer cells.
Radiation Therapy: Treatment that uses X- Rays and other
high- energy rays to kill abnormal cells.
Mohs Surgery: Surgical removal of skin cancer, one layer at a
time, until healthy tissue is left
 Majorly Affected & Prevention
With increased exposure to ultraviolet radiation from the sun and
indoor tanning, melanoma has become the most common cancer
among young people ages 15 to 29.

People can prevent their risk of developing melanoma by:

Planning outdoor activities before 11a.m and after 4p.m, when the sun is not at its
strongest

Avoiding sunlight and seeking more shade

Wearing protective clothing like hats and sunglasses

Using sunscreen properly and applying to all parts of the body that are not
covered by clothing

Avoiding indoor tanning

 Next Steps
We want to help by:
Sharing our research and our findings with people in our
community to help people locally
Creating a website with information on melanoma skin
cancer and provide tips on how to prevent melanoma
skin cancer to help people globally
 Global Competencies
Investigate the World
We investigated the world by researching information on Canada using
reliable and credible sources.
Recognize and Weigh Perspectives
We recognized and weighed perspectives by gathering all kinds of data and
research using different websites to support our claim that Melanoma Skin
Cancer is one of the deadliest type of cancer in Canada
Communicate ideas
We communicated ideas by doing this project and sharing it with our class
by presenting it.
Take Action
We want to take action by sharing our research and our findings with people
in our community to help people locally and creating a website with
information on melanoma skin cancer and provide tips on how to prevent
melanoma skin cancer to help people globally
 Summary
We learned that one of the fastest rising cancers in Canada is Melanoma Skin Cancer. It is
the 7th most commonly diagnosed cancer in Canada. We also learned that Melanoma usually
happens because of UV radiation. Too much UV radiation from the sun or tanning beds can
damage the DNA in your skin cells. If a lot of the DNA is damaged it will build up over time.
Then it can cause cells to start growing out of control, which can lead to melanoma skin
cancer. If it is not caused by too much UV radiation it means it was passed from one
generation to another. Some symptoms of Melanoma are:

A sore that does not heal

Spread of pigment from the border of a mole into surrounding skin
Redness or swelling beyond the border of the mole
Any itchiness, tenderness, or pain
Change in the surface of a mole

We also learned that melanoma skin cancer cant be cured. It can only be controlled with an
option of treatments. These treatment are: Surgery, Chemotherapy, Radiation Therapy, Mohs
Surgery. The type of treatment depends on how bad the cancer is or how long the person has
had it. Many people are at risk of developing melanoma skin cancer. To prevent this cancer
people can:

Plan outdoor activities when the sun is not at its strongest

Avoid sunlight and look for more shade
Wear protective clothing
Use sunscreen properly
Avoid indoor tanning or tanning beds
We want to help by sharing our project with our findings with people from our community so
they can know how to prevent melanoma and how to know the difference between
melanoma and regular moles. We also want to create a website so people from all around the
 Citations
https://www.cancer.ca/en/about-us/for-media/media-relea
ses/national/2014/2014-canadian-cancer-statistics/?regi
on=on
http://m.cancer.org/cancer/skincancer-melanoma/detai
ledguide/melanoma-skin-cancer-signs-and-symptoms
http://www.skincancer.org/skin-cancer-information/mela
noma
https://conquer-magazine.com/need-know-melanoma/
http://www.skincancer.org/skin-cancer-information/mela
noma