Cancer warning to sun seekers

More than half of Brits want a suntan despite strong messages about the increased risk of skin cancer, health experts have warned.

62 per cent of Brits said that they found tanned skin more attractive than paler skin, compared to 56 per cent of people responding to a similar survey five years ago.

Daybreak's Richard Gaisford reports:

The first sign of a melanoma is often the appearance of a new mole or a change in the appearance of an existing mole.

Normal moles are usually a single colour, round or oval in shape and not larger than 6mm (1/4 inch) in diameter.

Melanomas are more likely to have an irregular shape, be more than one colour, and are often larger than 6mm (1/4 inch) in diameter. A melanoma may also be itchy and may bleed.

A good way to tell the difference between a normal mole and a melanoma is to use the ABCDE checklist:

• A stands for asymmetrical – melanomas have two very different halves and are an irregular shape.
• B stands for border – unlike a normal mole, melanomas have a notched or ragged border.

• C stands for colours – melanomas will be a mix of two or more colours.
• D stands for diameter – unlike most moles, melanomas are larger than 6mm (1/4 inch) in diameter.

• E stands for enlargement or evolution – a mole that changes characteristics and size over time is more likely to be a melanoma.

Melanomas can appear anywhere on your body, but the back, legs, arms and face are the most common locations. Sometimes, they may develop underneath a nail.

Source: www.nhs.uk

• Melanoma is a cancer that usually starts in the skin, either in a mole or in normal-looking skin. About half of all melanomas start in normal-looking skin.

• The number of people developing melanoma is continuing to rise. More than 10,600 people in the UK are diagnosed with melanoma each year.
• Melanoma is more common in women, particularly young women. In the UK it’s the most common cancer in people aged 15–34.

• In women the most common place to develop melanoma is on the legs; in men it’s on the chest and the back.

Source: www.macmillan.org.uk

• In 2010, 12,818 people in the UK were diagnosed with malignant melanoma skin cancer.
• In the same year there were 2,203 deaths from malignant melanoma skin cancer in the UK.

• In 2005-2009, 88.2% of adult skin cancer patients (83.6% of men and 91.6% of women) in England survived their cancer for five years or more.
• In 2010 around 100,000 people were diagnosed with non-melanoma skin cancer and there were 546 deaths from non melanoma skin cancer.

• In 2010, there were 12,818 new cases of malignant melanoma in the UK.
• 6,201 (48%) in men and 6,617 (52%) in women, giving a male: female ratio of around 10:11.1-4.
• Malignant melanoma incidence rates have overall increased in Great Britain since the mid 1970s

Source: Cancer Research UK

More than half of Brits want a suntan despite strong messages about the increased risk of skin cancer, health experts have warned.

62 per cent of Brits said that they found tanned skin more attractive than paler skin, compared to 56 per cent of people responding to a similar survey by the association five years ago.

The results revealed that younger people are less knowledgeable about some aspects of skin cancer despite increased education on the disease in recent decades.

A third (32%) of people in their twenties perceived a tan to be a sign of good health compared with 21 per cent across all age groups.

Three times more men than women incorrectly believed that a base tan will protect against sun burn and sun damage (65 per cent of men compared to just 22 per cent of women).

80 per cent of people infrequently or never check their skin for signs of skin cancer.

Furthermore, 69 per cent admitted they have no idea what to look for even if they were to check their skin.

Half of Britons think that their skin is darker than it actually is, putting them at risk of developing skin cancer, according to new research by the British Association of Dermatologists.

The statistics are being released to mark the start of Sun Awareness Week on Monday May 6th.

1,350 people attending the organisations 2012 Mole and Sun Advice Roadshow were asked about skin cancer and sun safety.

Only 50 per cent of people correctly identified their own skin colour, which was then assessed by a Dermatologist, from a list of options, with 48 per cent thinking their skin was darker.