In a place where sunshine is a way of life, the risks of melanoma can be easy to overlook — especially for men. May 4 marks Melanoma Monday, kicking off Skin Cancer Awareness Month.
While melanoma, which is typically caused by overexposure to ultraviolet radiation, accounts for a small fraction of skin cancer cases, it causes most skin cancer‑related deaths, making vigilance essential. Melanoma Monday initiatives encourage people to take simple but lifesaving steps: protecting themselves from the sun, performing regular skin self‑exams and seeking professional screenings. Early detection remains the most powerful tool in reducing melanoma deaths.
Melanoma affects men and women differently, and research shows that men face a significantly higher risk. By age 50, men are more likely than women to develop the disease, and the disparity widens with age, with men becoming twice as likely by 65 and nearly three times as likely by 80. Men also die of melanoma at higher rates than women, regardless of age. Factors contributing to this include lower awareness of skin cancer risks, less frequent sunscreen use and even differences between male and female skin structure: Men’s skin tends to be thicker, with more collagen and elastin, which may make it more vulnerable to ultraviolet damage.
According to the American Cancer Society, around 112,000 new cases of melanoma are projected to develop in the U.S. this year. Of those diagnoses, 65,400 are expected to occur in men and 46,600 in women. Florida ranks among the states with the highest anticipated number of new cases, at 10,530.
The lifetime risk of developing melanoma is approximately 2.2%, and more than 1.5 million Americans are living with the disease. Encouragingly, the five‑year relative survival rate is high, at 94.7%, and is even higher when detected early — localized cases have a nearly 100% five‑year survival rate.