Skin cancer and the sun

Skin cancer is one of the most common cancers in the UK. Around 70,000 new cases are diagnosed each year, a figure experts believe to be an underestimate. And the numbers just keep going up. The reason for this is our love of the sun. Cheap holidays abroad in the sunshine and increasing use of sun beds mean that our skin is being exposed to more UV radiation than ever before.

Skin cancers are classified as either melanoma or non-melanoma. Melanoma is the most dangerous form of skin cancer. For detailed information about the different types, please see the end of the article.

Skin cancer prevention

Unlike many other cancers, skin cancer is preventable. We just have to get used to following a few simple rules to be safe in the sun:

• Avoid the sun when it is the most intense, between 11am and 3pm
• Wear a broad rimmed hat and a t-shirt to cover your shoulders
• Wear sunglasses which block both UVA and UVB sunlight
• Use a broad-based sunscreen which protects against both UVA and UVB sunlight, SPF 15 at least
• DO NOT use sun beds or lamps – use a fake tan instead
• Check your moles regularly using our checklist

Mole or Melanoma : Dr. Chris’s checklist

If you notice any changes to a mole you should visit your GP and get it checked out. However everyone should be on the lookout for the following changes in a mole:

• Does it itch?
• Is it bigger than the blunt edge of a pencil?
• Does it have a ragged edge?
• Is it a mixture of different colours – shades of black, brown and pink?
• Is it inflamed or have a reddish coloured edge?
• Is there any bleeding, oozing or crusting?

Although melanomas can occur anywhere on the skin, in women they are most commonly found on the legs and in men, on the chest and back.

Who is most at risk

Everyone is at risk of skin cancer. Your risk increases the more time you spend in the sun, which is why your risk increases with age.

But malignant melanoma rates buck the trend as they are disproportionately high in young people due to binge tanning and sunbed use.

Others more at risk of skin cancer include people who have:

• Fair skin that freckles easily
• Light coloured eyes – blue, grey, hazel
• Red or blonde hair
• Many moles
• A history of skin cancer
• Been using sunbeds, particularly before the age of 30
• A history of severe sunburn
• A family member with skin cancer
• An outdoors occupation – builders, gardeners, farmers etc.

Types of skin cancer

Non-Melanoma skin cancer

There are two types of non-melanoma skin cancers - Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). Both are usually painless.

BCC is the most common type of skin cancer in the UK. Around 75% of skin cancers in the UK are of this type. It is a cancer of cells at the base of the epidermis, the skin’s outer layer. Most BCC occurs in parts of the face and neck, especially the nose, chin and temples.

Initially BCC may resemble a flat red, scaly patch of skin. It can appear as a central crater encircled by a pearly coloured rim or as a small lump with a pearly coloured rim covered by very fine blood vessels.

In the later stages, a common type of BCC looks like a small growing ulcer, and is called a rodent ulcer as it is said to resemble a rat bite!

As they are slow growing, most BCCs never spread.

SCC is the second most common type of skin cancer. It often appears as persistent dry red scaly patches of skin, which are prone to bleeding and so may be mistaken for eczema. Unlike BCC, squamous cell carcinomas can spread to other parts of the body if untreated, so it is essential to get them checked out ASAP.

Melanoma

Mealnoma is a cancer of the melanocytes, the pigment producing cells of the skin. Although the least common type of skin cancer, malignant melanoma is by far the most serious.

Rates of melanoma have quadrupled since the 1970s, and more than 10,000 new cases are diagnosed in the UK every year. Malignant melanoma is now the most common cancer in young adults between the ages of 15 and 34, and the most common cause of cancer death in women in their twenties. Each year over 2500 people die from malignant melanoma.

Binge tanning due to cheap holidays abroad and sun beds are largely to blame. Only last week a World Health Organisation advisory committee upgraded sun bed use from it’s "probably carcinogenic to humans" category to "carcinogenic to humans."

Women are more at risk than men of developing melanoma, but men are more likely to die from it, probably because they hold off from visiting the doctor.

This article was published on Wed 5 August 2009