Article publication date
September 2025
ARPANSA review date
21 November 2025
Summary
This study updates previous estimates of the proportion of cutaneous melanoma incidence attributable to ultraviolet radiation (UVR) by examining data from 2022. Data on national estimates of cutaneous melanoma cases from 154 countries were extracted from the World Health Organization’s GLOBOCAN 2022 database. Population attributable fractions (PAFs) related to UVR exposure were calculated by sex, age, and country using a minimally exposed Nordic 1930 birth cohort reference population for comparison.The estimates were adjusted for acral lentiginous melanoma, which is not associated with UVR exposure and accounts for about half the cutaneous melanoma cases in dark-skinned populations. The study showed that most of the global cutaneous melanoma burden in 2022 (n=267,353 cases; 57% of them in males) was UVR-attributable. The PAF estimates increased with age; 76% among people aged 30–49 versus 86% among people aged 70 or more years. In Australia/New Zealand, Northern Europe, and North America, more than 95% of cutaneous melanoma cases attributable to UVR exposure. The highest attributable age-standardized rates (per 100,000) were found in regions with populations of lighter skin colour: Australia/New Zealand (76), North Europe (37), and North America (34). The study concluded that excess UVR exposure accounts for more than four-fifths of the global cutaneous melanoma incidence.
Published in
International Journal of Cancer
Link to study
Global burden of cutaneous melanoma incidence attributable to ultraviolet radiation in 2022
ARPANSA commentary
This study provides an updated global estimate of cutaneous melanoma burden for countries and regions categorized by sex and age. Further, the study also improved the earlier methods of estimating PAFs of UVR (Arnold et al., 2018) by adjusting cutaneous melanoma rates to the relative proportion of acral lentiginous melanoma for darker-skinned populations. Regional trends of cutaneous melanoma rates remain similar to earlier estimations (Arnold et al., 2018). Very high rates in Australia and New Zealand are attributable to high ambient levels of UVR exposure (Xiang et al., 2014; Olsen et al., 2010). As highlighted in the study, most of the global cutaneous melanoma burden is UVR-attributable and hence the role of sun protection remains important in reducing cutaneous melanoma burden.
The Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA) measures the UV index in various locations in Australia and publishes this data in real-time. In view of preventing skin cancer occurrences, Australia promotes the world leading SunSmart program, which recommends people to adopt a combination of five sun protection measures whenever the UV index is 3 or above. The sun protection measure includes Slip (on clothing), Slop (on SPF30 or higher), Slap (on a hat), Seek (a shade), Slide (on sunglasses). ARPANSA also provides evidence-based public health messages in relation to UV protection measures, including sun protection factsheets. The SunSmart Global UV app provides real time sun protection advice for Australian and major international cities to inform people about sun protection measures.
