☀️Melanoma

#1Blistering sunburns[1]+103%

Pooling 57 studies of melanoma and sun exposure, a history of sunburns roughly doubled the odds of the disease: pooled relative risk 2.03 for ever having been sunburned versus never.

How many blistering sunburns have you had in your life?

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#2Indoor tanning[2]+87%

A 2012 meta-analysis of 27 studies found any use of a sunbed raised melanoma risk by 20%, and starting before age 35 raised it by 87%, each extra session adding about 1.8% more.

Have you ever used indoor tanning beds?

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#3Family history[3]+74%

Pooling 60 studies of melanoma risk factors, a family history of the disease raised the odds by 74%.

Any strong family history of cancer?

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#4Sleep apnea[4]+71%

The shakiest link on this page.

Do you snore loudly or wake up gasping?

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#5Skin self-exams[5]−63%

In a Connecticut case-control study, people who examined their own skin were 63% less likely to be among the lethal melanoma cases — advanced disease or death — than the general population, and 34% less likely to be diagnosed with melanoma at all.

Do you check your skin for changing moles?

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#6Sun protection habits[6]−50%

In the Nambour trial, 1,621 Australian adults were randomized to daily sunscreen or their own, discretionary habits and followed for another ten years after the trial ended.

How do you typically handle sun exposure?

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#7Smoking[7]+33%

This one runs backwards from every other cancer page here.

Do you smoke?

Same number, 2 answers: The review measured survival after a melanoma diagnosis, current smoking at any amount versus never, not split by cigarettes a day. Current smokers are diagnosed with melanoma less often in the first place, a separate and poorly understood finding this pill does not capture.

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#8Body weight[8]+31%

Pooling 21 studies and 6.4 million people, overweight and obese men had 31% more melanoma than normal-weight men — the meta-regression found no further increase past overweight, a flat effect rather than a dose-response.

How would you describe your weight?

Same number, 2 answers: The meta-analysis pooled everyone with a BMI of 30 or over as one obese group and found no further increase past overweight — a flat effect, not a dose-response — and, again, no association at all in women.

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#9Physical inactivity[9]+27%

This one runs backwards too: in 1.44 million adults, the most active tenth developed 27% MORE melanoma than the least active tenth — the only one of 26 cancers in that study where activity raised risk.

How many days a week do you get 30+ minutes of exercise?

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#10Alcohol[10]+18%

Across 16 studies and 6,251 cases, any regular drinking went with 20% more melanoma than not drinking.

How much alcohol do you drink?

Same number, 2 answers: The meta-analysis pooled moderate and heavy drinking into one “moderate-to-heavy” band; it did not report heavy drinking on its own.

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