Lifestyle behaviors and sun exposure among individuals diagnosed with skin cancer: a cross-sectional analysis of 2018 BRFSS data

Purpose: With the continued increase in skin cancer incidence rates, the population of skin cancer survivors continues to grow. Understanding skin cancer survivors’ lifestyle behaviors, including ultraviolet radiation exposure, is important in reducing skin cancer recurrences and improving health outcomes. The objective of this study is to compare the differences in lifestyle behaviors among skin cancer survivors or individuals who currently have skin cancer versus individuals who have never had a skin cancer diagnosis. Methods: To investigate these lifestyle behaviors, we performed a cross-sectional analysis comparing lifestyle behaviors in persons diagnosed with skin cancer and those without a history of skin cancer among US citizens using publicly available data from the 2018 Behavior Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS). Results: In total, there were 437,436 respondents. No significant difference existed between the two cohorts in sunburn frequency, use of sun protection, or indoor tanning; in fact, males were more likely to be afflicted with sunburns following diagnosis. Skin cancer survivors were less likely to be current smokers and sedentary. Female survivors were more likely to binge and heavily drink alcohol. Conclusion: Our findings highlight important areas for reducing risk factors, which could reduce the recurrence of skin malignancies in skin cancer survivors. Implications for Cancer Survivors: Our study provides insight to lifestyle behaviors among skin cancer survivors. Being aware of these behaviors has the potential to reduce skin cancer recurrence.