The terrifyingly few times you need to have suffered sunburn to ‘double risk of killer melanoma’ – plus 5 signs to spot
IT'S common knowledge that sun damage can increase your risk of developing skin cancer.
But experts have warned that it takes a scarily low number of sunburns in your lifetime to make you vulnerable to melanoma - a particularly deadly form of the disease.
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Susanna Daniels, CEO of Melanoma Focus, said: "We know that more than five sunburns in your lifetime doubles your risk of melanoma, so burning every year has potentially long-term dangerous consequences."
Her warning comes after new data published by the charity showed that an alarming 49 per cent of Brits people suffer from sunburn at least once every year.
Respondents were asked how often each year they got sunburnt - either from sizzling under the sun or baking in sunbeds.
It emerged that 65 per cent of 18 to 32-year-olds tended to catch too much sun at least once a year - upping their risk of deadly melanoma further.
The survey also found that 36 per cent of Brits rarely or never apply sunscreen when in the UK during the summer months.
Men were most guilty of shirking sun protection, as 42 per cent of them admitted to skipping sun cream.
The charity said these findings were worrying, especially as melanoma skin cancer rates continue to climb in the UK.
There are around 17,500 new melanoma skin cancer cases in the UK every year, making it the fifth most common cancer in the country.
According to Cancer Research UK, one in 35 men and one in 41 women in the UK will now be diagnosed with melanoma skin cancer in their lifetime.
Melanoma is considered the most serious form of skin cancer because it has the highest mortality rate, and deaths from melanoma are projected to continue to rise.
Susanna warned: "Nearly nine in 10 melanomas are preventable yet the UK has more deaths from melanoma per year than Australia.
"It is essential that everyone understands the risks associated with sunburn and prioritises sun protection by using factor 30+ sunscreen, wearing a hat, seeking shade and covering up in the heat of the day.”
Professor Catherine Harwood, consultant dermatologist and Melanoma Focus Trustee added: “Sunburn significantly increases the likelihood of developing skin cancer later in life.
"The fact that so many people are burning their skin and not using sunscreen regularly is concerning.
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"With the number of cases of melanoma on the rise in the UK, it is more important than ever for the public to take preventive measures.”
The survey did reveal that 56 per cent of respondents would be more likely to use sunscreen regularly if it was cheaper and 77 per cent thought sunscreen should be exempt from VAT.
Of those who say they don’t wear sunscreen in the UK in the summer months, 8 per cent said it was because it was too expensive.
Typical symptoms of melanoma tend to be a new mole or an existing mole that seems to be changing size, shape or colour.
Other signs to look out for include moles that are swollen and sore, itchy, crusty or bleeding.
They can appear anywhere on the body, but they most frequently pop up in areas often exposed to the sun.
It can be helpful to keep the ABCDE acronym in mind to spot worrying skin changes.
- Asymmetry: two halves of the mole differ in shape
- Border: the edges are irregular or jagged
- Colour: it's uneven or patchy and you can see shades of black, white, grey, brown or pink; two or more colours means the mole could be suspicious
- Diameter: for most melanomas, at least 6mm
- Evolving: changing in size, shape or colour
Hannah Lowery, age 32 from Redcar in Yorkshire, was diagnosed with melanoma skin cancer in July 2024.
She said: “When I was younger we didn’t have so much awareness of the risks of skin cancer.
"My parents were strict about me wearing sunscreen when we were abroad but, as a teenager, I didn’t use it in the UK and I used to burn quite a lot.
“Last year I went to my GP because I had two moles on my neck which I noticed had changed shape.
"I was sent for an urgent referral and it turned out I had melanoma and both moles had to be removed.
"I was very lucky that the melanoma hadn’t spread but it was a terrifying experience.
"I was only 31 and I had a two year old son. It’s really not worth it for a tan.”
Melanoma is the most serious type of skin cancer that has a tendency to spread around the body.
It is diagnosed 16,000 times per year, and tragically takes the lives of 2,340 people per year.
The number of people being diagnosed with melanoma is increasing, and it is the 5th most common cancer in the UK.
But it is also one of the most preventable cancers, with 86 per cent of cases in the UK avoidable.
The best way to protect yourself from melanoma is to be sun safe - wear SPF every day, wear a hat and sunglasses and keep out of the sun in the hottest hours. It is also advised to avoid sunbeds.
People who are fair-skinned, have blue or green eyes, blonde or red hair and a large number of freckles or moles are more likely to get skin cancer.
Surgery is the main treatment for melanoma, particularly if it is found early. This will involve removing the affected tissue in the skin.
Radiotherapy, medicines and chemotherapy are also sometimes used to try and stop the cancer from growing. Treatment depends on the severity of the disease.
What are the symptoms?
The key thing to look out for are changes to an existing mole, or a new mole on your skin.
Most experts recommend using the simple “ABCDE” rule to look for symptoms of melanoma skin cancer, which can appear anywhere on the body.
There are five letters/words to remember:
- Asymmetrical – melanomas usually have two very different halves and are an irregular shape
- Border – melanomas usually have a notched or ragged border
- Colours – melanomas will usually be a mix of two or more colours
- Diameter – most melanomas are usually larger than 6mm in diameter
- Enlargement or elevation – a mole that changes size over time is more likely to be a melanoma
A mole that changes size, shape or colour may be a melanoma.
But other signs to look out for include moles that are:
- Swollen and sore
- Bleeding
- Itchy
- Crusty
How deadly is it?
Melanoma is a deadly form of skin cancer.
The outlook of a person’s disease depends on the stage of the cancer when it was diagnosed.
Survival is better for women than it is for men.
“We don't know exactly why this is. It may be because women are more likely to see a doctor about their melanoma at an earlier stage,” says Cancer Research UK.
The charity says that generally, statistics show that in England, more than 85 out of every 100 people (more than 85 per cent) will survive their melanoma for 10 years or more after they are diagnosed.
- Around 100 per cent in England diagnosed with melanoma at stage 1 - when the cancer cells are only in the top layer of skin - will survive for five years or more after diagnosis.This drops to 80 per cent for stage 2.
- Some 70 per cent live for a further five years when they are diagnosed in stage 3, which is when the cancer has started to spread to nearby lymph nodes.
- At stage 4, when the melanoma has spread elsewhere in the body, almost 30 per cent survive their cancer for 5 years or more.
Cancer Research says the stage 4 data does not account for age differences. Age can affect outlook and younger people have a better prognosis than older people.
Age can affect outlook and younger people have a better prognosis than older people.
What is melanoma?
Melanocytes are cells in the skin that give us the colour of our skin because they produce a pigment, known as melanin.
When you sit in the sun, melanocytes produce more pigment (a sun tan), which spreads to other skin cells to protect them from the sun’s rays.
But melanocytes are also where cancer starts.
Too much UV causes sunburn, and this is a sign of damage to the skin’s DNA.
The UV triggers changes in the melanocytes, which makes the genetic material become faulty and cause abnormal cell growth.
People who burn easily are more at risk of skin cancer because their cells do not produce as much pigment to protect their skin.
Those with albinism are at the most risk because their skin produces no pigment at all.
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