Sweden Sees Drop in Skin Cancer Among Young People: Study by Hildur Helgadottir

Solna, Sweden, September 9 – A recent study has found that the risk of malignant melanoma, a type of skin cancer, is decreasing in Sweden for people under 50. Hildur Helgadottir, a senior consultant and associate professor of oncology at Karolinska Institutet, noted a trend break around 2015 where the incidence rates for young adults began to fall.

Researchers analyzed data from the Swedish Melanoma Registry, comparing different age groups over time. They discovered that while melanoma cases continue to rise for those over 50, they have been declining for younger individuals since 2015. This makes Sweden the first European country to report such a decline.

Mortality rates have also decreased for people up to 59 years old, but not for those over 60. Helgadottir attributes the decline in younger groups to both a reduction in disease incidence and the introduction of new oncological drugs that improve prognosis.

Helgadottir suggests four main factors for the decline: increased awareness of sun protection, reduced access to sunbeds, more indoor activities due to mobile phones and computers, and immigration bringing more individuals with darker skin who tolerate the sun better.

She emphasizes the importance of continuing sun protection efforts to maintain the reduction in melanoma among younger people and eventually decrease incidence in older people. Helgadottir also reminds everyone to be cautious of the sun, especially during the warm and sunny months from April to September.