Facts and risk factors
New Zealand’s melanoma incidence rate is the world’s highest.
Melanoma Facts
- More than 7,000 melanomas are diagnosed in New Zealand every year.
- Almost 300 Kiwis die of melanoma every year
- Around 70% of melanoma cases occur in people aged 50 years and older
- Darker-skinned people may have a lower chance of getting melanoma, but they often have thicker, more serious melanomas
- Melanoma rarely occurs in children
- Men are twice as likely than women to die from melanoma
Risk Factors
Anyone in New Zealand can develop skin cancer though it is most common in people with the fairest skin types. The main risk factor for skin cancer is regular unprotected sun exposure.
Other factors that may contribute to skin cancer, including melanoma, include:
- family or personal history of skin cancer
- fair skin
- red, blonde or fair hair
- skin type that burns easily
- skin damage due to sunburn
- sunbed use
- many moles and larger moles
- immunosuppression
Melanoma Risk Assessment Tool
It is not possible for individuals to identify their personal risk of melanoma by going through a checklist of risk factors.
If you would like to identify your risk, ask your primary care practitioner to use this clinical melanoma risk predictor tool. It was designed for the Australian population but guidelines suggest New Zealanders should select Tasmania as place of residence, to receive the most accurate assessment.
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