Study: Most Global Melanoma Cases Attributable to UV Exposure

A new global analysis of cutaneous melanoma (CM) shows ultraviolet radiation (UVR) as the primary driver behind the majority of CM cases worldwide in 2022.

Researchers used updated incidence estimates from GLOBOCAN 2022 (excluding acral lentiginous melanoma. By comparing current data to a minimally exposed 1930 Nordic birth cohort, they derived population attributable fractions (PAFs) by age, sex, and country.

UVR exposure was responsible for 267,353 cases of CM globally in 2022 (57% male). Australia and New Zealand, Northern Europe, and North America each showed PAFs > 95%, suggesting nearly all CM cases in these areas were UV-driven. 

Australia/New Zealand reported the highest rates at 75.68 cases per 100,000; Northern Europe came in at 36.82 and North America at 33.69. The data showed CM burden increasing with age, as individuals aged 70 and older had a PAF of 86.13% vs. 76.39% among those aged 30 to 49.

Sensitivity analyses reaffirmed these findings. The robustness of the methodology reinforces the call for bolstered global efforts in sun protection and education strategies to mitigate UVR-related melanoma risks, the authors noted.

“Most of the global CM burden in 2022 was UVR-attributable,” they wrote. “Primary prevention through increasing sun safety awareness and affordable sun protection provision options is key to reducing CM.”

Source: Langselius O, et al. International Journal of Cancer. 2025. doi:10.1002/ijc.35463