Welcome  to  Public  Health  moment from  the  University  of  Minnesota. May  2  is  Melanoma  Monday, an  annual  event  to  promote the  prevention  and  detection  of  melanoma. Last  year,  more  than  100,000 Americans  were  diagnosed  with  melanoma. About  75%  of  all  skin  cancer  deaths  are  from  melanoma, with  nearly  9,000  in  2010. But  melanoma  is  very  curable  if  detected early  dermatologists  say  So  what  are  the  risk  factors? We  ask  Diane  Lazovic, a  cancer  epidemiologist  at  the  University  of  Minnesota. The  risk  factors  for  melanoma  can be  divided  into  two  groups. Those  that  are  non  modifiable, the  ones  that  you  inherit. The  modifiable  risk  factors  all  have  to  do with  exposure  to  ultra  violet  radiation, either  from  the  sun  or from  artificial  devices  like  indoor  tanning. How  can  you  lower  your  risk? The  recommendations  to  prevent skin  cancer  include  avoiding the  sun  as  much  as  possible  and especially  during  the  peak  hours  of  ten  to  four, to  be  sure  to  wear  clothing that  covers  the  arms  and  the  legs or  hats  that  are  wide  brimmed and  also  to  include  sunglasses. With  that,  another  recommendation is  to  use  sunscreen  that  has at  least  an  SPF  sun  protection  factor  of  15  or  greater. Then  lastly,  to  avoid  the  use  of  indoor  tanning.