Children ‘at higher risk of invasive melanoma than adults’

A new study has revealed that children may be at a higher risk of invasive melanoma than adult patients.

Johns Hopkins Children's Center has conducted the first study to assess the differences in the spread of the deadly skin cancer between adult and paediatric patient groups, analysing the records of more than 2,000 patients over five years.

It was found that younger sufferers of the disease were more likely to have metastases in the lymph nodes surrounding the tumour, which was attributed to underlying biological differences between children and adults.

Researchers said this shows the need to take special precautions to shield children from skin damage, such as through the diligent use of sun cream.

Dr John Strouse, a paediatric haematologist and oncologist at the Johns Hopkins Children's Center, said: "Our finding is a powerful reminder that there's much about paediatric melanoma that we don't understand and that … children are not small adults, but differ markedly in their response to disease."

According to Cancer Research UK data, melanoma is currently the sixth most common cancer type in the UK, affecting women more frequently than men.