Skin cancer surges worldwide in older men in last 30 years — Study
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
Published on May 24, 2025
By IANS
- 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.
-
- Besides ageing, researchers at the First Affiliated
Hospital of Chongqing Medical University in China attributed the surge to the
increase in population growth.
-
- The study also cited a disproportionately higher burden
of skin cancers in countries with higher sociodemographic index (SDI) levels.
-
- “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.
-
- “The results highlight the urgency for more effective
prevention and management strategies targeting high-risk groups,” they added.
-
- 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.
-
- 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.
-
- 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.
-
- New Zealand and Australia recorded the highest 65 and
older melanoma rates in 2021.
-
- 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.
-
- "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.
