Rates of Self-Reported Skin Cancer in Current and Retired Elite Australian Cricketers

Skin cancer rates are high in Australians, outdoor workers and physically active people. Australia is currently preparing a roadmap to better assess high risk groups for consideration of more targeted skin screening.

The membership of the Australian Cricketers Association (ACA), both current and retired cricketers, was invited to participate in a questionnaire survey to assess self-reported rates of skin cancer (and associated risk factors).

Response rate was 451 subjects (29% of 1530 invited participants), of which 39% were female. Cohort self-reported melanoma rates were 1% for < 30 year olds, 8% for 51-60 year olds and 20% for those over 70 years old. BCC (basal cell carcinoma) rates for < 30 year olds were 1%, 33% for 51-60 year olds and 55% for those over 70 years old. SCC (squamous cell carcinoma) rates for < 30 year olds were 0%, 23% for 51-60 year olds and 38% for those over 70 years old. Very fair- or fair-skinned players (compared to medium- or dark-skinned players) and those who lived in lower latitudes (sunnier regions) as an adult experienced higher rates of all skin cancers. Females were less likely to have reported BCCs compared to males. The most common body area for skin cancer in cricketers (slightly over half of all cases) was the head/face/neck region.

The rates of BCC, SCC and melanoma in cricketers were high for almost all age groups. This is likely to represent a combination of true increase (due to a combination of sporting and leisure-time exposure) and bias due to methodological limitations. Fair-skinned cricketers can reasonably be considered a high-risk population in Australia who should exercise lifetime vigilance.