WEDNESDAY, JULY 02, 2025
Skin cancer surges worldwide in older men in last 30 years — Study
Published on May 24, 2025
By IANS
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- NEW DELHI — There has been a sharp uptick in the burden of skin cancer, especially in older adults, in the last three decades, according to a study.
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- Besides ageing, researchers at the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University in China attributed the surge to the increase in population growth.
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- The study also cited a disproportionately higher burden of skin cancers in countries with higher sociodemographic index (SDI) levels.
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- “The older population (particularly male individuals and those living in high-SDI countries) is facing a substantial growing burden of skin cancer,” said the team in the paper published in JAMA Dermatology.
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- “The results highlight the urgency for more effective prevention and management strategies targeting high-risk groups,” they added.
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- In the study, researchers analysed about 4.4 million new skin-cancer cases -- melanoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and basal cell carcinoma -- recorded in 2021 among older adults aged above 65 years and older. The data is based on the Global Burden of Diseases 2021, covering 204 countries and territories.
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- The findings showed that the incidence of squamous cell carcinoma -- that starts as a growth of cells on the skin -- soared by roughly 2 per cent per year from 1990 to 2021. Basal cell carcinoma -- most often develops on areas of skin exposed to the sun, such as the face; and melanoma -- the most serious type of skin cancer -- showed similarly steady gains.
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- Further, the study found that squamous cell carcinoma produced the steepest toll in terms of healthy years lost (DALYs) by 2021 compared with three decades earlier.
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- New Zealand and Australia recorded the highest 65 and older melanoma rates in 2021.
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- East Asia experienced the most rapid rise in basal cell carcinoma burden from 1990 to 2021, with average annual percentage increases exceeding 6 per cent for incidence, prevalence, and DALYs.
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- "These findings highlight the urgent need for targeted prevention strategies and resource allocation to address the growing public health challenge of skin cancer among the ageing population,” the researchers said.
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