Counties in Pennsylvania that contained or were near cultivated cropland had significantly higher melanoma rates compared to other regions, according to a new study led by scientists at Penn State.
Researchers at Penn State Cancer Institute analyzed five years of cancer registry data, 2017 through 2021, and found that adults over the age of 50 living in a 15-county stretch of South Central Pennsylvania were 57% more likely to develop melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, than residents elsewhere in the state. They published their findings today (Nov. 14) in the journal JCO Clinical Cancer Informatics.
The cancer cluster includes both rural and metropolitan counties, meaning risks are not confined to remote areas or reserved for those most exposed to the outdoors, explained Charlene Lam, associate professor of dermatology at Penn State Health and co-author on the paper.
"Melanoma is often associated with beaches and sunbathing, but our findings suggest that agricultural environments may also play a role," she said. "And this isn't just about farmers. Entire communities living near agriculture, people who never set foot in a field, may still be at risk."
