Melanoma is 7 Times as Likely in Today’s Seniors

Today, seniors over the age of 65 years living in the UK are about 7 times more likely to manifest malignant melanoma compared to 40 years ago.

Recent figures showed around 5,700 older adults on average are diagnosed with melanoma annually compared to 600 in the mid 1970’s.
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In the UK, older men are about 10 times more likely to be diagnosed with malignant melanoma compared to their parent’s generation and older women were found to be 5 times as likely to develop the form of cancer.

According to investigators, the swift increase in diagnoses could be associated to the inexpensive package holiday boom circa the 1960s and the heightened desire to feature a tan appearance.

Investigators warned individuals to avoid sunburn since reddened skin color from too much sun exposure even just once every 2 years could triple their risk of developing the cancer.

“Sun damage accumulates over time so avoiding sunburn – and sunbeds—is key as well as getting to know your skin type so you don’t overdo it on the beach or even in the garden,” said Julie Sharp, PhD, the head of health information for Cancer Research UK.

“You can burn at home just as easily as you can on holiday, so remember to spend time in the shade, wear a T shirt and a hat to protect your skin and regularly apply sunscreen that is at least Factor 15 and has four stars.  Swapping bad sun habits for good ones could save your life,” she said.

The new figures are published on Cancer Research UK’s website.

-Michelle Canales Butcher

Reference:

Cancer Research UK. Pensioners seven times more likely to get deadly skin cancer than 40 years ago. April 6, 2015. www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-us/cancer-news/press-release/2015-04-06-pensioners-seven-times-more-likely-to-get-deadly-skin-cancer-than-40-years-ago. Accessed April 7, 2015.