Your genes and how many moles you have impact your risk of getting multiple melanomas

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2022-11-24 03:00

Australia; QLD

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People with a family history of melanoma and lots of moles from a young age are at a higher risk of developing a second melanoma after their first one, according to international researchers. The team looked at the genetic and lifestyle risks of nearly 40,000 people, of which 3% developed a single primary melanoma, and 0.6% had a second primary melanoma diagnosed during the study. The researchers said having many moles at age 21 and having a high genetic risk of melanoma were more strongly associated with getting a second melanoma than they are with getting a first one. They say this difference in risk did not appear to apply to other factors like sun exposure or other physical characteristics.