Researchers are reporting that out of those afflicted by melanoma, as many as one in four never wear sunscreen when going out into the sun.
This is extremely unfortunate as the risk of second primary melanoma is nine times greater among survivors than it is for the general population, according to Anees B. Chagpar, MD, MPH, associate professor of surgery at Yale School of Medicine and director of the breast center at Smilow Cancer Hospital at Yale-New Have.
To make matters worse, 2% of survivors surveyed reported using a tanning bed in the past year, and 15.4% said they rarely or never avoid the sun by staying in the shade.
The numbers come from an analysis done by Chapgar and her team at the American Association for Cancer Research. Researchers analysised data from the 2010 National Health Interview Survey to evaluate these numbers.
Luckily though, Chapgar did find that while a sizable portion did not, a majority of melanoma survivors were more careful after the fact.
"Overall, melanoma survivors did take more precautions against melanoma than the general population," she stated in an interview. "Still, these results are really depressing. So much more could be done to protect against a recurrence of this deadly skin cancer."
Among the most alarming data was the persistence of tanning bed usage among melanoma survivors.
"Just as many smokers continue to light up despite knowing the risks, the findings may help explain why longtime tanners have trouble stopping or even cutting back on visits to the beach and tanning salons," said Michael Atkins, MD, a melanoma specialist.
Medical professionals report that melanoma has been on the rise for the past three decades, with an expected 76,690 cases to be reported in the U.S. this year alone. Almost 9,500 are expected to die of the disease in 2013, according to research done by the American Cancer Society.