Jun 20, 2025 - Health
Melanoma cases rise in women under 50
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Melanoma cases are rising in younger people, particularly in women under 50, a National Cancer Institute study has found.
Why it matters: Skin cancer is the most common cancer in the U.S., and melanoma is the deadliest type.
Between the lines: Many cases are preventable.
- Exposure to UV light from the sun or indoor tanning beds causes most melanoma cases, per NCI data.
- Young women are still most likely to indoor-tan, even though their tanning rates declined after 2010, per the most recent data available.
Yes, but: Overdiagnosis could be contributing to the melanoma rate increase, according to the report.
- A New England Journal of Medicine study found that routine skin exams have increased and pathologists now more often classify ambiguous lesions as melanoma.
