The study, which was published in the journal Mayo Clinic Proceedings, looked at melanomas among people from the ages of 18 to 39 years. They were diagnosed from 1970 to 2009 in Olmsted County, Minnesota.
The results showed melanoma increased in young men and young women by 6 times during this 40 year period.
Specifically, the incidence of melanoma was 8 times higher among young women and 4 times higher among young men in 2009 than in 1970.
The April 2, 2012 Mayo Clinic article 'Melanoma Rates Skyrocketing in Young Adults' states, 'Researchers say women may be hardest hit by melanoma because they are more likely to participate in activities that increase the risk of melanoma, such as using tanning beds or suntanning.'
The study was published in the April 2012 issue of the Mayo Clinic Proceedings, under the title "Increasing Incidence of Melanoma Among Young Adults: An Epidemiological Study in Olmsted County, Minnesota."
The authors concluded in the abstract of their paper, "The incidence of cutaneous melanoma among young adults is rapidly increasing, especially among women. Continued close monitoring of this high-risk population is necessary."
