With the arrival of summer, the danger of increases. Every month, an average of 167 Israelis contract this malignancy. Hundreds of health fund clinics representing all four public health insurers are offering free skin examinations by dermatologists and plastic surgeons during National Skin Cancer Awareness Week from Monday, June 24 through Sunday, June 30.
The event is initiated annually by the (ICA) and Clalit, Maccabi, Meuhedet, and Leumit Healthcare Services. Anyone can find a clinic near his/her place of residence. Those who go will also be able to purchase sunscreen products at considerable discounts in the health fund’s pharmacy.
Thanks to the national campaign and the increase in public awareness throughout the year, the success rates of early detection in Israel are among the highest in the world. This makes possible better chances for a cure and a dramatic decease in death from skin cancer. According to the ICA, 2,000 Israeli women (40%) and men (60%) will be diagnosed with malignant melanoma of the skin this year.
According to Health Ministry data, in 2020, 1,675 new patients with melanoma were diagnosed here, but an absolute majority of 91.9% of patients was diagnosed with an early-stage tumor. This year, 192 women and men died from the disease.
In an international comparison, in descending order from the country with the highest to the lowest rate in 2020, Israel ranked 23rd among the 30 countries with the highest incidence rates (number of cases per 100,000 in.
