Florida draws retirees for the sunshine. The same sun that makes life here so appealing is also why skin cancer remains a serious, ongoing concern for older residents — and a 2026 study put hard numbers to it.
Researchers at Florida Atlantic University's Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine analyzed years of national data on melanoma in Florida adults aged 65 and older. Their conclusion was direct: the burden is not improving, and the gaps that allow it are largely preventable. Here's what the study found, and why it matters for anyone living in Central Florida.
What the Study Looked At
The researchers used CDC WONDER data — a federal public-health database — to track melanoma incidence (new diagnoses) from 2018 to 2021 and mortality (deaths) from 2018 to 2023 among Floridians 65 and older. They deliberately focused on melanoma and rarer aggressive skin cancers rather than the more common basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas, so the picture reflects the most dangerous end of the spectrum. The findings were published in the Journal of Geriatric Oncology in May 2026.1
A point worth keeping in perspective: by sheer volume, Florida reports the second-highest number of melanoma cases of any state, behind only California — a reflection of how large and sun-exposed its older population is.2
The Burden Isn't Going Away
One of the clearest messages from the data is that the problem has held steady. Across the years studied, melanoma diagnoses and deaths among older Floridians stayed roughly stable rather than declining.
There was a dip in 2020 — but the authors read that as a side effect of the pandemic, when routine skin checks and screenings were disrupted, rather than a real drop in disease. In other words, fewer cancers were caught that year, not fewer that occurred. When screening resumed, the numbers returned to their established level.
Older Men Are Dying at Roughly Twice the Rate of Women
The most striking finding was a sex gap. Across every year studied, older men died from melanoma at roughly twice the rate of older women.
The researchers attributed the difference to a mix of factors: older men are less likely to use sun protection and less likely to perform regular skin self-exams, they tend to carry higher lifetime sun exposure, and there may be biological differences in how the immune system responds to disease. The practical message is the same regardless of cause — older men, in particular, benefit from making skin checks a routine.
Who Else the Data Points To
The study also found that non-Hispanic white residents had the highest rates of both diagnosis and death — consistent with the well-established link between fair skin, cumulative sun exposure, and melanoma risk. That doesn't mean people with darker skin are exempt; melanoma can affect anyone, and when it does occur in skin of color it's often caught later. But it does tell us where the heaviest burden sits in Florida's older population.
What the Researchers Concluded
The authors didn't frame this as an unstoppable consequence of living in a sunny state. They pointed instead to persistent gaps in prevention and early detection — and called for routine skin checks, broader awareness, and targeted outreach to older adults.
That's an encouraging way to read difficult numbers, because every part of it is actionable:
- Sun protection still works, even after decades in the sun. Daily broad-spectrum sunscreen, hats, and shade reduce ongoing damage.
- Self-exams catch changes early. A monthly look — using the ABCDE rule — helps you spot new or changing spots between visits.
- Annual professional skin exams find what's easy to miss on your own, on the scalp, back, and other hard-to-see areas.
Melanoma caught before it spreads has a survival rate above 99%. Once it spreads to distant organs, that figure falls sharply.3 The difference is almost entirely about timing — which is exactly why the study's emphasis on early detection carries so much weight.
What This Means If You Live in The Villages
The population this study describes — older adults, largely retired to Florida, with a lifetime of accumulated sun exposure — is precisely the community SpotDoc serves. The research is a reminder that the risk is real and steady, and that it responds to attention.
If it's been more than a year since your last full-body skin exam, that's the single most useful step you can take. SpotDoc's clinic at 3614 Kiessel Road in Brownwood Square provides comprehensive skin cancer screening, full-body imaging, biopsies when needed, and ongoing care for patients with a history of skin cancer. We accept Medicare and most major insurances, and no referral is required. Here's what to expect at a skin cancer screening.
Tyler Long, DO is a board-certified dermatologist and the lead physician at SpotDoc in The Villages. For appointments, call (352) 914-3451 or book online.
References
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Srivastav M, Etzel M, Decker M, Kamm C, Lewis K, Miron E, Reis V, Sacca L. Trends in skin cancer in the Sunshine State: An ongoing concern for older adults in the United States. Journal of Geriatric Oncology. 2026 May;17(5):103005. doi.org ↩
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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Skin Cancer Statistics. cdc.gov ↩
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American Cancer Society. Survival Rates for Melanoma Skin Cancer. cancer.org ↩