502 people suffering from melanoma in Armenia as of 2016
The ultraviolet radiation can have adverse effects on the human body, the most common of which is melanoma – a form of skin cancer.
“Melanoma is the least common form among the skin cancer cases but it has a high mortality rate," Ruben Grigoryan, Head of the Environmental Hygiene Division of the National Centre for Disease Control and Prevention at Armenia’s Ministry of Health, told a news conference on Saturday.
Citing the figures released by the World Health Organization, Mr. Grigoryan said that about 200,000 new cases of melanoma are diagnosed worldwide each year, becoming fatal for the 32% of the patients.
“According to official data, 502 people are suffering from melanoma in Armenia as of 2016,” the expert noted.
He went on to explain that avoiding exposure to ultraviolet rays does not imply staying out of the sun at all. The latter can lead to a lack of D vitamin, causing rickets disease.