Melanoma Rates Are Spiking Fast in These 15 Pennsylvania Counties
November 16, 2025 | Source: Science Daily | by Penn State
Counties in Pennsylvania that contain or sit close to cultivated cropland show notably higher melanoma rates than other parts of the state, according to new research led by scientists at Penn State.
Researchers at the Penn State Cancer Institute reviewed cancer registry data collected from 2017 through 2021 and discovered that adults over age 50 living in a 15-county area of South Central Pennsylvania were 57% more likely to be diagnosed with melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, compared to residents elsewhere in the state. The team reported these results on Nov. 14 in the journal JCO Clinical Cancer Informatics.