Skin cancer

Skin cancer is one of the most common cancers in the UK, and numbers are on the increase, even among younger people. Luckily, being sensible in the sun can limit skin damage and decrease the risk of cancer. TheSite talks you through the two main types.

Non-melanoma

• The most common cancer in the UK;
• More than 62,500 cases are recorded each year;
• Caused by ultraviolet radiation damage to the DNA in the cells;
• The damage can happen long before cancer develops, and this type of cancer is more often found in older people;
• Cancer develops on places that have been regularly exposed to a lot of sun, such as hands, forearms, shoulders or neck;
• Treatment is normally successful.

Symptoms:

• A new growth or sore that does not heal within four weeks;
• A spot or sore that continues to itch, hurt, crust, scab or bleed;
• Persistent skin ulcers that are not explained by other causes.

Malignant Melanoma

• Accounts for almost 3% of all newly-diagnosed cancers each year; Around 3,200 new cases of melanoma in men, and over 4,100 new cases in women a year are diagnosed;
• Among people under 35, it is the third most common (women) and sixth most common (men) cancer. Each year about 1,700 people die from melanoma;
• The cancer develops in the cells in the outer layers of the skin, the cells that normally produced melanin, the pigment that makes skin look tanned;
• If the cancer is not treated, cancer cells from the original site may break away and spread to other parts of the body, such as the brain, lung or liver.

Symptoms

• Changes to previously normal skin;
• Changes to moles;
• On women it occurs more frequently on the legs;
• On men it occurs most frequently on the back.

Limiting the risks

The symptoms of skin cancer can take up to 20 years to appear, and it is therefore important to always take care in the sun. Severe sunburns in childhood can be dangerous and contribute to a higher risk of skin cancer later in life. According to Cancer Research UK's SunSmart campaign, the best way of protecting yourself from the sun and thus limit the risk of cancer is to:

• Stay in the shade between 11 am and 3 pm;
• Make sure you never burn;
• Always cover sensitive areas, wearing a hat and sunglasses will protect your face;
• Always use factor 15 or higher sunscreen;
• Report changes to moles or unusual developments in your skin to your doctor as soon as possible.