It’s not well-understood why exposure to estrogen might increase your chance of developing this serious skin cancer, Bevers says, but there are estrogen receptors in your skin.
Reduce your risk: “Pay attention to your skin,” Bevers says, especially to any spots, moles, or lesions that look suspicious or change. Be diligent about sunscreen and scheduling regular skin checks with your primary care doctor or dermatologist, she adds.
Ultimately, when you started menstruating is just one of many potential risk factors for cancer, and it’s certainly not a guarantee of a future diagnosis, Mackey says. Instead, let this knowledge motivate you to change what you can. “It makes it even more important for you to take a hard look at those factors you can control.”
Otherwise, you don’t need to do anything differently. This link isn’t strong enough to warrant earlier or more frequent screening, for example, but you can, Bevers says, “be empowered to lead a healthy lifestyle” with this information.
