Cronkite News

New Analysis Shows Phoenix Worst City in U.S. for Skin Health

A new analysis ranks Phoenix as the worst city in the U.S. for skin health and fourth-worst in the world. Karen Hastings, MD, PhD, a professor of immunology and dermatology at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix and a dermatologist at the Veterans' Administration Medical Center in Phoenix, found the results unsurprising. She added that although melanomas get a lot of attention because of their ability to spread throughout the body, basal cell carcinomas and squamous cell carcinomas are the most common types of skin cancer. "Studies have shown that in the southern U.S., which would include Phoenix, the number of deaths from squamous cell carcinoma are similar to melanoma," she said.

About the College

Founded in 2007, the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix inspires and trains exemplary physicians, scientists and leaders to optimize health and health care in Arizona and beyond. By cultivating collaborative research locally and globally, the college accelerates discovery in a number of critical areas — including cancer, stroke, traumatic brain injury and cardiovascular disease. Championed as a student-centric campus, the college has graduated more than 800 physicians, all of whom received exceptional training from nine clinical partners and more than 2,700 diverse faculty members. As the anchor to the Phoenix Bioscience Core, which is projected to have an economic impact of $3.1 billion by 2025, the college prides itself on engaging with the community, fostering education, inclusion, access and advocacy.