Melanoma

Melanoma is the most serious type of skin cancer. Though not common, it still kills about 1,500 people each year in the UK, and it's on the increase!

Melanoma usually develops painlessly from cells that produce the brown pigment melanin, so about 70% of melanomas develop in existing moles, and 30% in normal skin.

Sunlight is the main cause of melanoma, and those most at risk have white skins, red or blond hair and have difficulty getting a tan.

People who have had  bad sunburn as children are more at risk. It is, therefore, vitally important that fair skinned children are never allowed to get sunburnt!

Anyone having more than 5 moles on the upper arm, or more than 100 moles over the whole body surface, are particularly at risk.

Blond haired people are 70 times more likely to develop melanoma than those with black hair. In England, melanoma has more than doubled over the past 15 years, probably because we are taking more holidays abroad.

Protect yourself

Those at high risk should:

Use high protection factor sun creams, the higher the better.

Wear wide brimmed hats, and cover their arms and legs.

Time themselves whilst lying in the sun on holiday, so that exposure is gradually increased - thirty minutes on the first day, forty on the next and so on.

Never sun bathe between 12 noon and 3pm.

Melanoma checklist

Melanoma risk increases with sunbed use. The more time spent on sunbeds, the higher the risk. Here's a seven point checklist, to spot a mole that may develop into a melanoma:

1. Does it itch?

2. Is it bigger than the blunt edge of a pencil?

3. Is it increasing in size?

4. Does it have a ragged edge?

5. Is it a mixture of different brown and black shades?

6. Is it inflammed, or does it have a reddish edge?

7. Is it bleeding, oozing or crusting?

Any changes must be medically examined by your GP.



 

This article was published on Mon 31 July 2006