To some, Valentine’s Day is about sweethearts and love. To others, it’s another holiday that illustrates the differences between men and women.

In that spirit, and in honor of Valentine’s Day 2025, let’s delve into the differences between men and women and melanoma. Who’s winning the battle?

It’s an Uneven Fight

Like many things in life, melanoma does not impact the sexes equally. Although this devastating disease can strike anyone, melanoma of the skin affects one sex more so than the other. We’ll explore the data illustrating the differences.

Melanoma Diagnoses

When it comes to which sex has more people being diagnosed with the disease, the data shows melanoma does not impact men and women in the same way. Updated 2025 cancer statistics estimate that 44,410 females will be diagnosed with melanoma this year, accounting for 4% of all cancer types in females.¹  

Males are estimated to have 60,550 cases of newly diagnosed melanoma in 2025, accounting for 6% of all cancers affecting males this year. ¹ These numbers reflect an identical trend from 2024 and earlier – they are not unique to this year.² More diagnoses of melanoma occur in males.

The probability of developing invasive melanoma during one’s lifetime is 1 in 29 for males and 1 in 40 for females.¹ For individuals over 65 years of age, the risk of melanoma is double for males (1 in 43) than females (1 in 89).¹

Why are men more likely to be diagnosed with melanoma?

A straightforward explanation is based on mathematics. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lists the average height of men in the U.S. as 69 inches versus 63.5 inches for women. The average weight for men is ~200 lbs versus ~171 lbs for women.³ On average, men are larger than women.

A larger body size means that more skin is required to cover it. Since melanocytes are evenly distributed throughout the skin, the more skin a body has, the more melanocytes are present. For example, the density of melanocytes on the back of an average individual is typically 900 melanocytes per square millimeter. ⁴

Science suggests that even with different skin complexions, the variation in the number of melanocytes per square millimeter between different individuals is small.⁵ With each additional melanocyte present, there is an increased risk, albeit very small, for something to go awry – such as the development of melanoma.

For a mathematical solution, if a typical male human body has 22 square feet of skin, that equals over 6705 millimeters.⁶ If 900 melanocytes are in each millimeter, that equals 6,034,500 melanocytes. If women are, on average, 85-92% the size of men based on weight and height, they have between 5,129,325 and 5,551,740 melanocytes. This fact equates to more than half a million fewer potential cells that could become cancerous in one’s lifetime.

Which sex is more likely to protect their skin with sunscreen?

A major risk factor for a future diagnosis of melanoma is the number of sunburns sustained during one’s lifetime. Protective measures like wearing sunscreen, wearing wide-brimmed hats and long sleeves, and seeking shade provide a means of reducing one’s risk.

A study that assessed the use of sunscreen with a mix of men (48%) and women (52%) in the groups showed a clear difference. Women were far more likely to regularly apply sunscreen on exposed skin than men, 34.4% versus 19.9%, respectively.⁷

When the investigators assess the use of sunscreen regularly on the face, the differences were more prominent. Approximately 42.6% of women regularly protect their face with sunscreen whereas 18.1% of men self-reported they did.⁷

Another study reported that females were more likely to limit their outdoor activity (79.0%), in comparison to males (54.0%). Additionally, females were also more likely to seek shade outdoors (75.0%) versus males (56.0%).⁸ Such behavior is more likely to prevent a future diagnosis of melanoma.

In the battle between the sexes – the overall diagnosis advantage goes to females.

Probability and Risk during Young Adulthood

It is an unfortunate reality that cancer risk increases exponentially as we age.¹ We accumulate cellular damage over our lifespan and experience a naturally declining immune system. The chance of carrying mutated cells is almost guaranteed. Sadly, we are designed to wear out.

Over 65 years of age, males are more likely to be diagnosed with melanoma, but these facts do not represent the risk at each life stage. A closer look at the probability of developing melanoma from birth to 49 years of age shows that 1 in 162 females versus 1 in 258 males will be diagnosed with invasive disease.¹

Melanoma is among a group of six cancers where incidence is still increasing, particularly among women under 65 years of age. This mirrors a trend of shifting the cancer burden from men to women.¹

Therefore, up until middle age, females are at a higher risk.

Why is there an increased risk for melanoma during young adulthood?

A simple explanation is the choice of indoor tanning among adults. A study with participants aged 18-24 years reported that 35.8% of women and 12.2% of men stated they tanned indoors that year. For those between 25 and 34 years, 24.8% of women and 9.3% of men stated the same.⁹

If these data are accurate and extrapolated, women are three times more likely to engage in indoor tanning than men. In addition, one-third to one-quarter of young adult females have undergone indoor tanning during the year.

Ultraviolet radiation emitted directly from tanning beds can be far more intense than time spent in the sun. Indoor tanning also dramatically increases the risk of melanoma. These facts put females at a higher probability of melanoma from birth to 49 years of age.

In addition, a 2020 survey reported that a third of U.S. adults engaged in outdoor tanning during the past 12 months. Among this group, women were more likely than men to tan outdoors.¹⁰

In the battle between the sexes – for young adulthood risk, advantage (young) males.

Outcomes of Melanoma

Between 2017 and 2021, the mortality of melanoma in the U.S. declined by 1.4% per year. This success followed a 6.1% decline per year between 2013 and 2017.²  This dramatic change reflects the advent of immunotherapy and the understanding of the scientific reasons why melanoma persists.

Additionally, data from 2014-2020 shows that 5-year relative survival rate for melanoma is 94%. It lags behind thyroid cancer (98%), prostate cancer (97%), and cancer of the testis (95%).¹

These statistics exemplify modern breakthroughs in treatment. It should encourage individuals diagnosed with melanoma to seek treatment and those who suspect they might have melanoma to seek out clinical diagnosis.

Nevertheless, the U.S. mortality rate from melanoma in 2022, the last reported year, was 1.3 among females versus 2.9 in males.¹¹ The rate reflects all ages and races per 100,000 individuals. It also reflects that with a diagnosis, males are more likely to succumb to the disease.

The reasons behind these numbers are unclear, but they could be multi-factorial. Some explanations might relate to a diagnosis occurring later in life (>65 years of age) when the immune system is not functioning at its peak; the melanoma cells may harbor a greater number of DNA mutations acquired over a lifetime, which contributes to a more aggressive disease; or a melanoma diagnosis may occur at a later disease stage (e.g., Stage IV), which complicates treatment and does not guarantee survival.

Unfortunately, in the battle of the sexes, for mortality, it’s females who come out ahead.

The Overall War

If we were keeping score, females would win over males in the overall war against melanoma.

Although females are more likely to experience a diagnosis as young adults, most melanomas are found at early stages. Being diagnosed at an early stage translates to survivorship.

The real measure appears in the mortality rate. It is the best indicator of progress because survival matters the most. Mortality rates also reflect overall population health, a lack of bias in diagnosing disease, and signifies the efficacy of modern treatment regimens. For melanoma, modern therapy has been an overwhelming success.

The Real Battle

The real battle of course is not women against men—it’s against melanoma itself and reducing melanoma risks, incidence, and death in all of us, at all ages. The battle starts with making sure everyone—children, especially—are protected with clothing, sunscreen, and shade from UV rays to avoid sunburn. It continues by making sure no young people (or older people!) you know use indoor tanning devices or tan outdoors. And it includes a lifetime of monthly skin self-checks and annual doctor-provided skin checks to find melanoma as early as possible, when it can be successfully treated.

References

1. Siegal RL, Kratzer TB, Giaquinto AN et al. Cancer statistics, 2025. CA Cancer J Clin. 2025;75(1):10-45. doi: 10.3322/caac.21871.

2. Siegal RL, Giaquinto AN and Jemal A. Cancer statistics, 2024. CA Cancer J Clin. 2024;74(1):12-49. doi: 10.3322/caac.21820.

3. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. National Center for Health Statistics. Body Measurements. Available at https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/body-measurements.htm. Updated 9.1.2021. Accessed 2.3.2025.

4. Jorizzo JL, Bolognia JL, Rapini RP. Dermatology: 2-Volume Set: MOSBY. 2008. (ELSEVIER).

5. Thingnes J, Lavelle TJ, Hovig E et al. Understanding the Melanocyte Distribution in Human Epidermis: An Agent-Based Computational Model Approach. PLoS One. 2012;7(7):e40377. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0040377

6. National Geographic. Skin. Available at https://www.nationalgeographic.com/ science/article/skin-1. Updated 1.18.2017. Accessed 2.3.2025.

7. Holman DM, Berkowitz Z, Guy GP et al. Patterns of Sunscreen Use on the Face and Other Exposed Skin among US Adults. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2015;73(1):83–92.e1. doi: 10.1016/j.jaad.2015.02.1112.

8. Chen J, Shih J, Tran A et al. Gender-Based Differences and Barriers in Skin Protection Behaviors in Melanoma Survivors. J Skin Cancer. 2016;2016:3874572. doi: 10.1155/2016/3874572

9. Choi K, Lazovich D, Southwell B et al. Prevalence and characteristics of indoor tanning use among men and women in the United States. Arch Dermatol. 2010;146(12):1356-61. doi: 10.1001/archdermatol.2010.355.

10. National Cancer Institute Cancer Trends Progress Report. Indoor and Outdoor Tanning. Available at https://progressreport.cancer.gov/prevention/sun/tanning. Updated 3.1.24. Accessed 2.4.25.

11. National Cancer Institute Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program. Available at https://seer.cancer.gov/. Accessed 2.3.25.