Melanoma soars 45% in 10 years

SKIN cancer rates have soared by 45 per cent in a decade, making it the second most common cancer in young adults.

Rates of melanoma, the most deadly form of skin cancer, are up by more than a third for women and by 55 per cent in men.

Experts fear it may be fuelled by the rise of foreign holidays, the popularity of sunbeds and programmes such as Love Island, which shows attractive tanned young people.

Cancer Research UK has reported a rapid rise in melanoma between 2004-06 and 201416, which are the most recent figures available. Overall, the jump is from 18 cases of melanoma per 100,000 people to 26 cases per 100,000. Rates for 25 to 49-year- olds have leapt by 70 per cent since the nineties, making it the second most common cancer after breast cancer for this age group.

Fiona Osgun, health information manager at Cancer Research UK, said: ‘The rise in melanoma is likely to be linked to sunbathing, holidays and people trying to be tanned, without realising a tan is the skin trying to protect itself from sun damage.

‘Sunbeds could be playing a role, overexposing people to UV light, which causes around 90 per cent of melanoma cases.’

The charity has launched a campaign called Own Your Tone to encourage people to protect and embrace their natural skin. Gillian Nuttall, chief executive of Melanoma UK, said: ‘When the people on Love Island and the majority of celebrities have a tan, young people will always want to have a golden glow. People need to use alternatives like spray tans and fake tan.’

But Gary Lipman, chairman of The Sunbed Association, said: ‘The science claiming a link is flawed. It is over-exposure to UV in general, causing burning, that must be avoided and is an increased risk factor for melanoma, not responsible tanning.’

Getting sunburnt just once every two years can triple the risk of melanoma, which is diagnosed in almost 16,000 people a year in Britain and kills almost 3,000 a year.