Researchers have discovered a more than threefold increase in the mortality rate from skin cancer in males during the 1970s, leading to new recommendations from skin cancer specialists to practice more caution in the sun. Cancer Research UK revealed that male melanoma mortality rates have climbed by 219% since 1973, while female melanoma death rates have increased by 76% since 1973. Men are now succumbing to the condition at a rate of 1,400 per year, compared to 980 per year for women. According to the nonprofit, this equates to six individuals per day.
Approximately 16,000 people are diagnosed with melanoma in the United Kingdom each year. According to Cancer Research UK, almost nine out of ten instances might have been avoided. The latest findings, according to experts, show that males are more likely than women to be diagnosed with cancer at a later stage. Men’s torsos are often the site of skin changes, which may develop as a result of being exposed to the sun while wearing no shirt.
Experts have warned that the sun may be just as powerful in the UK as it is in other countries. Men are 69% more likely than women to die from melanoma, according to this new study from Cancer Research UK. In the recent decade, women’s mortality rates have dropped by 9%, whereas men’s mortality rates have remained stagnant.
Why are the numbers higher?
Packet vacations began to take off in the 1970s and inexpensive airfares have recently increased the number of individuals who go to sunny areas many times each year, increasing their risk for skin cancer. Men’s cancer incidence and mortality, on the other hand, are growing at a greater pace than women’s. In the recent decade, the number of males diagnosed with melanoma has increased by 47 percent, while the number of women diagnosed has increased by 30 percent.
Experts don’t know exactly why men’s melanoma mortality and case rates are increasing at such a rapid pace, but various explanations are possible, for them. According to a recent survey conducted by Cancer Research UK, men are less likely than women to prioritize sun protection when going outside. Even though 84% of men believe that sunburn increases their risk of developing skin cancer, only 24% of men said they always use sun protection when going outside. One-quarter of males said they didn’t think the sun was powerful enough to warrant sun protection, while two-thirds said they hadn’t given it any attention.
