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A Risk Beyond the Sun: Melanoma Is 57% More Common in Areas with Intensive Agriculture and Herbicide Use

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A Risk Beyond the Sun: Melanoma Is 57% More Common in Areas with Intensive Agriculture and Herbicide Use
In this article
Epidemiology • Environmental Oncology

An Overlooked Risk in Areas of Intensive Agriculture

Researchers found that skin cancer incidence was markedly higher in areas with intensive agricultural activity. In cropland, each 10% increase was associated with a 14% increase in melanoma risk .

A new study conducted in Pennsylvania and published in JCO Clinical Cancer Informatics found that the incidence of melanoma (skin cancer) in areas of intensive agriculture was higher than elsewhere in the state. This study offers the first population-based evidence suggesting that agricultural land use and chemical applications, as well as sun exposure, may be risk factors.

More Than the Sun?

High rates of skin cancer in rural populations and farmers are generally attributed to increased UV (sun) exposure from working outdoors. In this study, however, researchers conducted a more in-depth analysis by accounting for variables such as ambient UV radiation, social vulnerability, and land use.

In the “agricultural cluster” of 15 counties analyzed, melanoma rates were 57.1% higher than in the rest of the state.

📊 Incidence Comparison (Age 50+)

Overall Average: 60.4 cases / 100,000
Other Counties: 53.6 cases / 100,000
Area of Intensive Agriculture: 84.2 cases / 100,000

*The cluster includes 15 counties in south-central Pennsylvania.

The Relationship Between Land Use and Risk

🚜
Increase in Cropland

For each 10.3% increase in land:

14%
Increase in Melanoma
🧪
Herbicide (Weedkiller) Use

For each 8.6% increase in treated area:

13.5%
Increase in Melanoma

In counties within the “high-incidence cluster” examined in the study (Adams, York, Dauphin, etc.), cropland accounted for 19.8% of the land, compared with just 6.9% in counties outside the cluster. Similarly, the proportion of land treated with herbicides was approximately 3 times higher in the high-risk areas.

The researchers also reported associations between melanoma and the use of fungicides, insecticides, and fertilizers, although these associations were not as statistically strong as those for cropland and herbicides.

👨‍⚕️ Drozdoğan's Commentary and Conclusion

This study suggests that melanoma risk may not be limited to “sun protection,” and that environmental and agricultural factors also play a role in geographic disparities. People living in agricultural regions in particular need closer skin monitoring, and more biomonitoring (biological monitoring) studies are needed in the future.

References:
  • Marks BJ, et al. Harvesting risk: An ecologic study of agricultural practices and patterns and melanoma incidence in Pennsylvania. JCO Clin Cancer Inform. Published online November 14, 2025. [DOI: 10.1200/CCI-25-00160]
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