The number of people diagnosed with skin cancer has risen significantly in recent years. This is according to an analysis by the KKH health insurance company, which published its findings on Wednesday.
The analysis showed that Brandenburg has seen a 50% increase in melanoma cases while Berlin has seen a 43% increase in the last ten years. Barmer health insurance also recorded a significant rise in skin cancer cases in Berlin.
According to the analysis by KKH, the number of cases of non-melanoma skin cancer was even more pronounced. In 2024, 38,000 insured individuals were diagnosed with non-melanoma skin cancer, with the proportion of women being significantly higher at 23,000. 2.32% of KKH-insured individuals were treated for this diagnosis, compared to 1.61% in 2014.
Both melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancers occur more frequently in people over 55. The risk of developing cancer increases particularly when the skin is repeatedly exposed to the sun without protection for many years, allowing the damage to accumulate, as explained by KKH physician Aurelia Tegtmeyer.
Many people are unaware that UV radiation penetrates clouds, explained Tegtmeyer. Therefore, skin is not automatically protected under cloudy skies. “That’s why sun protection should become part of your daily routine – regardless of whether the sun is visibly shining or not.”
Melanoma also made the news last month when it was announced that a vaccine, developed by drug companies Merck & Co and Moderna, reportedly stopped skin cancer from returning in patients during a trial, representing a potentially watershed moment in cancer treatment.
The BBC wrote that early results showed this new jab extended the length of time these patients were cancer-free, but it’s unclear for how long, according to an announcement by the two firms. Cancer experts say this is a breakthrough, but emphasise caution as the full results have not been released or peer-reviewed, whereby independent experts examine and check the trial findings.
