As May is widely recognized as Skin Cancer Awareness Month, the team here at ImPACT would like to take this time to remind our readers about the very important intersection between military service and melanoma.
Every May, Skin Cancer Awareness Month is devoted to shining the spotlight on the most common cancer in the United States—skin cancer. According to the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), every day approximately 9500 people in the United States are diagnosed with this type of cancer.
The AAD began Melanoma Monday on Monday, May 1, 1995, and has observed it every year since. This year, Melanoma Monday is recognized on Monday, May 5, 2025. In 2024, it was estimated that more than 200,340 melanomas would be diagnosed and about 8290 people would die of melanoma.1 Among veterans, melanoma is one of the most commonly diagnosed form of cancer, and those rates are increasing in certain branches, including the Air Force, Navy, and the Marines.2,3 A number of theories have been floated that may explain what contributes to the increased risk for melanoma among veterans, including increased sun exposure, inadequate protection from UV rays, potential exposure to carcinogens, and overall demographics of the veteran population, but the link is irrefutable.
As such, focusing on sun limiting behaviors, using sunscreen, and for those patients you are seeing with melanoma, encouraging participation in clinical trials on this serious form of skin cancer are all important. However, clinical trial recruitment and retention remain challenges, particularly in the veteran population. Data indicate that only about 7% of patients with cancer enroll in clinical trials.4 The participation rate among veterans receiving care within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is even lower, at approximately 2%. This discrepancy highlights the need for increased awareness and accessibility within the VA system, according to Daphne Friedman, MD, Deputy Director of the VA’s National Oncology Program, who spoke at AMSUS 2025 in March and whose talk was the subject of a feature in last month’s issue of this publication.
In this month’s issue of this publication’s sister publication, Oncology Practice Management, we have compiled a list of clinical trials that are recruiting in this arena. For those with patients who may be candidates, please take a minute to visit this listing at https://oncpracticemanagement.com/, or please visit www.ClinicalTrials.gov. As the National Comprehensive Cancer Network has stated, “The best management of any cancer patient is in a clinical trial.”
References
- American Cancer Society. Key statistics for melanoma skin cancer. January 17, 2024. Accessed April 1, 2025. www.cancer.org/cancer/types/melanoma-skin-cancer/about/key-statistics.html
- Lea, CS, Efrid JT, Toland AE, et al. Melanoma incidence rates in active-duty military personnel compared with a population-based registry in the United States. 2000-2007. Military Medicine. 2014. 179, 3:247-253.
- Riemenshneider, MD, Liu J, Powers, JG. Skin cancer in the military: A systematic review of melanoma and nonmelanoma skin cancer incidence, prevention, and screening among active duty and veteran personnel. JAAD. 2018; 78, 6:1185-1192.
- Friedman D. Expanding access and curing cancer every day at VA. Presented at: 2025 AMSUS Meeting. March 3-6, 2025; National Harbor, MD.