A new study suggests that melanoma, the deadliest type of skin cancer, is on the rise among young women, but not among young men.

The research team led by Mr Mark Purdue of the National Institutes of Health, examined data gathered from a network of cancer registries across the United States.

The analysis focused on Caucasian women aged 15 to 39 who were diagnosed from 1973 to 2004.

Increased incidence of melanomas was seen from the 1990s though it held fairly steady for men between 1980 and 2004.

Researchers say it is not entirely clear why more and more young women seem to be getting skin cancer. They suggest that the increase is not just the result of changes in the way the medical community tracks the disease.

Separate studies have looked at sun damage trends.

One study, cited on the WebMD website, reported that 16- to 18-year-olds had a higher incidence of sunburn and spent more days at the beach in 2004 then they did in 1998. More young people in the US, mostly women, are also using tanning beds.

Studies suggest that UV rays from tanning beds and tanning lamps can be just as damaging as sun rays.

Ultraviolet radiation is a main risk factor for developing melanoma.

This article was first published in Mind Your Body, The Straits Times on July 16, 2008.