What is an age-related change that affects the risk of skin cancer?

As individuals age, several changes occur in the skin that can affect the risk of skin cancer. One significant change is the increased development of seborrheic keratosis, which is a common benign skin growth. Although seborrheic keratosis itself is not cancerous, the presence of such lesions often indicates cumulative skin damage from UV exposure over time.

With age, the skin's ability to repair itself after UV damage diminishes, leading to a higher likelihood of other skin neoplasms, including basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. While seborrheic keratosis is not precancerous, its increased occurrence in older adults may signal an underlying risk profile due to prolonged sun exposure and decreased skin regeneration capability.

In contrast, decreased melanocyte activity does not directly correlate with an elevated risk of skin cancer, as the actual skin cancers most associated with aging arise from other cell types. Similarly, decreased exposure to UV light is typically not associated with aging; rather, many older adults have had extensive lifetime exposure. Lastly, the notion of decreased basal cell carcinoma incidence with age is misleading, as this cancer becomes more prevalent among older populations due to cumulative sun exposure and changes in skin structure. Therefore, increased seborrheic