New research from institutions including the New York University School of Medicine shows factors such as genetic variations and family history may play as big a part in causing melanoma as blistering sunburn.
Simply put, taking preventative measures against ultraviolet rays is not enough. Instead, learning how to examine your own skin and identify suspicious moles early could be a life-saver.
With her red hair and pale skin, 40-year-old volunteer worker Kirsty Thomas had always taken care in the hot sun in Australia, where she grew up.
'The Slip Slop Slap campaign had only just started in the 1980s, but my father was a GP and very vigilant about sun protection,' Thomas says.
'It was drummed into me from an early age I should always wear a hat and sunscreen, and stay out of the sun in the middle of the day. So when I discovered a tiny new black mole on the top of my left foot - the size of a large match head - I didn't believe it was anything serious; I'd always been so careful.
'I showed my dad and he made me an appointment with a melanoma clinic immediately. The next day, I was in hospital for a major excision and skin graft; fortunately, the melanoma was less than 3mm deep and hadn't spread to my lymph nodes. Needless to say, today I'm religious about regularly checking my skin.'