Characteristics and Effectiveness of Targeted Melanoma Prevention Interventions for First-Degree Relatives of Melanoma Survivors - An Integrative Review

Sep 23, 2026

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First-degree relatives of melanoma survivors have at least a twofold increased risk for developing melanoma, yet studies show they do not consistently adopt sun safety behaviors. With no definitive method to prevent skin cancer, the review evaluates interventions that reduce risk by improving prevention behaviors. A literature search in PubMed and Scopus in December 2024 identified five studies, showing targeted prevention improved sun protective and screening behaviors, though effectiveness varied by delivery and adoption barriers. Educational content alone did not appear decisive.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages9

Reading Time23 min

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Abstract

Methods

This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attr ibution Non-Commercial Non-Derivative License, which permits unrestricted non- -commercial and non derivative use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly c ited . Characteristics and Effectiveness of Targeted Melanoma Prevention Interventions for First-Degree Relatives of Melanoma Survivors: An Integrative Review JENNIE CLARK, DNP, APRN, AGACNP-BC, AOCNP, CCRN, ASHLEY MARTINEZ, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC, AOCNP, CPHQ, NEA-BC, NPD-BC, and JOYCE DAINS, DrPH, JD, APRN, FNP-BC, FNAP, FAANP, FAAN From Department of Nursing, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas Authors’ disclosures of conflicts of interest are found at the end of this article. Correspondence to: Jennie Clark, Department of Nursing, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Blvd, Houston, TX 77030 [E-mail: jclark2@mdanderson.org](E-mail: jclark2@mdanderson.org) [https://doi.org/10.6004/jadpro.2026.17.4.3](https://doi.org/10.6004/jadpro.2026.17.4.3)[ ](https://doi.org/10.6004/jadpro.2026.17.4.3)©2026 BroadcastMed LLC J Adv Pract Oncol 2026;17(4):146–154 Abstract First-degree relatives of melanoma survivors have at least a twofold increased risk for developing melanoma, but studies show that they do not regularly adopt sun safety behaviors. While there is no definitive method to prevent skin cancer, there are ways to dramatically reduce the risk. Determining which interventions positively impact the adoption of prevention behaviors will assist in the development of strategies to reduce the occurrence of melanoma in first-degree relatives. A literature search was conducted using PubMed and Scopus in December 2024. The search focused on studies related to first-degree relatives of melanoma survivors and included discussion of prevention interventions. Five articles were included in this integrative review. Overall, the studies found that targeted prevention interventions led to improvements in sun protective and screening behaviors in first-degree relatives. However, the effectiveness of these interventions differed, which may have depended on how the interventions were delivered to the target audience and barriers to the adoption of sun protective behaviors. Variation in educational content did not appear to impact results. However, interactive educational content delivered online that involved the entire family was the optimal intervention to foster the adoption of sun safety behaviorsin first-degree relatives. This review specifically focused on first-degree relatives of melanoma survivors. However, targeted prevention interventions can be applied to other cancers, due to family history of cancer as a risk factor and the fact that family members tend to share health habits. M elanoma remains among the top five common cancers in the United States for both males and females (National Cancer Institute, n.d.) . Cutaneous melanoma is a skin cancer that begins in melanocytes, the cells that give skin its unique color. While cutaneous melanoma is less common than other skin cancers, such as basal cell and squamous cell carcinoma, it remains the most lethal due to its ability to metastasize (American Cancer Society, 2023b) . Over the past decade, melanoma death rates have declined due to treatment advances; however, the number of new cases has tripled over the past 30 years. About one in every 50 individuals will be diagnosed with melanoma at some point in their life (Melanoma Research Alliance, n.d.) . The American Cancer Society (2026) estimates 112,000 new cases and 8,510 deaths from cutaneous melanoma in 2026. As with any medical diagnosis, cutaneous melanoma has modifiable (e.g., environmental factors such as excessive ultraviolet radiation exposure or sun safety behaviors) and nonmodifiable risk factors (e.g., family history of melanoma or skin type; American Cancer Society, 2023

FAQs

What risk level do first-degree relatives of melanoma survivors face?

First-degree relatives have at least a twofold increased risk of developing melanoma compared with the general population.

How was the integrative review conducted?

A literature search was conducted in PubMed and Scopus in December 2024, focusing on prevention interventions for first-degree relatives of melanoma survivors.

Which type of intervention appeared most effective?

Interactive educational content delivered online that involved the entire family was described as the optimal approach to foster adoption of sun safety behaviors.

Sep 23, 2026

Uploaded by kopisore