Risk factors for melanoma

Who is at high risk of melanoma?

Factors that make you at high risk are:

• a family history of melanoma in a parent, brother or sister, or child
• atypical (dysplastic) ‘funny looking’ moles on your skin
• a large number of moles on your skin (more than 50 moles)
• you've had melanoma before
• you've had skin cancer (other than melanoma) before

Who else is at risk of melanoma?

• People with fair skin are more prone to sunburn and are more likely to develop melanoma
• People over 50. 70% of melanoma cases occur in people aged 50 or over
• Melanoma is reasonably common between the ages of 25 and 39.

More facts

• People with darker skin have more protection against UV rays and so are less likely to get skin cancers, including melanoma.
  Even so, Maori, Pacific and Asian peoples can and do still get melanoma.
• Melanoma rarely occurs in children

Reference for this page: New Zealand Guidelines Group. Melanoma: Information for you, your family, whanau and friends