A revised Australian calculator lets doctors predict a patient’s risk of invasive melanoma based on 16 self-reported factors.

Researchers from Brisbane’s QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute say that adding nine new factors to their existing calculator has increased its accuracy in predicting 10-year risk.

The new factors include personal history of cancer, family melanoma history, history of skin cancer excisions, number of sunburns as an adult, freckling density at age 21, smoking and sex-standardised height.

“Early identification of people who are high-risk can prompt more regular skin checks and targeted follow-up, while sparing lower-risk people from unnecessary screening or procedures,” said lead researcher Professor David Whiteman.