New Delhi, May 24 (IANS) 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.

–IANS

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