Skin cancer has surged worldwide in older adults 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 studyBesides ageing researchers at the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University in China attributed the surge to the increase in population growthThe study also cited a disproportionately higher burden of skin cancers in countries with higher sociodemographic index SDI levelsldquoThe older population particularly male individuals and those living in highSDI countries is facing a substantial growing burden of skin cancerrdquo said the team in the paper published in JAMA DermatologyldquoThe results highlight the urgency for more effective prevention and management strategies targeting highrisk groupsrdquo they addedIn the study researchers analysed about 44 million new skincancer 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 territoriesThe 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 gainsFurther the study found that squamous cell carcinoma produced the steepest toll in terms of healthy years lost DALYs by 2021 compared with three decades earlierNew Zealand and Australia recorded the highest 65 and older melanoma rates in 2021East 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 DALYsThese 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 populationrdquo the researchers saidThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoeveratOptionskeyd0ddb8ef8f1a62a8cdd22fac27fc5ea7formatiframeheight90width728params