A leading cancer charity has warned that popular summer fashion choices, including going shirtless or wearing shorts and skirts, could increase the risk of developing melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer. Cancer Research UK has highlighted that clothing habits during warmer months, coupled with insufficient use of sunscreen, are believed to contribute to where melanomas typically develop on the body.
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The charity projects that cases of melanoma in the UK will reach an all-time high in 2024, with approximately 21,300 new diagnoses expected. Data indicates that two in five cases among men appear on the torso—chest, back, and abdomen—while over a third of cases in women are found on the legs. This pattern, experts suggest, may relate to men more frequently removing their shirts and women opting for shorts or skirts as temperatures rise. Additionally, differences in body surface area could also play a role, with men generally having larger torsos and women proportionally more exposed skin on the legs.
According to Cancer Research UK, around 87% of melanoma cases—about 17,100 annually—are caused by overexposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation from sunlight or sunbeds. Fiona Osgun, head of health information at the charity, stressed the importance of taking precautions, even in the UK’s temperate climate. “Getting sunburnt just once every couple of years can triple your risk of melanoma,” she warned, noting that harmful UV rays can be strong enough to damage skin from mid-March to mid-October, even on cloudy days.
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Ms Osgun advised the public to seek shade between 11am and 3pm, wear protective clothing, sunglasses, and a hat, and to apply sunscreen with a minimum SPF of 30 and a 4- or 5-star UVA rating. The most recent data, covering 2018 to 2021, reveals that 40% of melanomas in men were found on the torso, while 35% of cases in women occurred on the lower limbs. Since the early 1990s, incidence rates have more than doubled in women and tripled in men, underscoring the urgent need for increased public awareness and preventative action.
