Skin cancer cases soar among Scots aged over 50

Senior News Reporter

Tuesday 24 July 2012

THE popularity of package holidays, cheap flights abroad and sunbed salons have been blamed for a threefold increase in the number of middle-aged Scots diagnosed with a potentially deadly form of skin cancer.

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MARTIN WILLIAMS

Cancer Research UK said the incidence of malignant melanoma among the over-50s had risen sharply over the past three decades.

The leading charity said about four people in their 50s are diagnosed with the disease each week.

Its research found there are 29 cases of the skin cancer in every 100,000 of the population aged between 50 and 59 in Scotland, compared to around nine per 100,000 in the late 1970s.The charity revealed a sharp increase in cases of skin cancer in Scotland, with a 62.8% increase in malignant melanoma in the decade up to 2010.Sarah Williams, health information officer at Cancer Research UK, said the increase had come at a time when people in the 50 to 59 age group became more exposed to the sun and ultraviolet rays than in previous generations.She added: "At the end of the 1970s it became more common for people to go abroad on holiday as it became more affordable. "Sunbeds also became more popular in the 1980s and people have not been protecting themselves from the sun's rays well enough."People should enjoy the sun but should avoid getting sunburnt. You can do this by covering up with clothing, trying to be in the shade if you can and using a sun screen. "We recommend a minimum Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of 15."Ms Williams added: "People need to be aware of their skin and any changes to either a mole or any patch of skin. If they notice anything they should go to the doctor and get it checked out. A malignant melanoma can be successfully treated and if caught early is more likely to be successful."The increase has prompted the charity to launch a campaign in partnership with supermarket chain Tesco to raise awareness about the early signs of cancer.Cancer Research UK leaflets with advice on preventing skin cancer will be available to customers in the supermarket's pharmacies and cafes.People have a better chance of beating the disease if it is caught early, the charity said.Tesco is also aiming to raise £10 million to fund 32 Cancer Research UK early diagnosis projects around the UK.One of the projects benefiting from the partnership is being carried out by a group of researchers at Edinburgh University.The team, led by Professor Jonathan Rees, is researching ways to help people recognise the signs of skin cancer earlier.Mr Rees said: "People's idea of what skin cancer looks like is limited to three or four images that are widely used to promote awareness of the disease – but we don't think this goes far enough with helping people identify the problem and going to their doctor."With support from Tesco, the team in Edinburgh is working to use the internet and the potential it offers to access many images."It's a bit like bird-spotting –using pictures as a guide to what malignant melanoma could look like and helping people make a better decision about seeing their doctor."Scottish skin isn't designed for sunshine and it's worrying that melanoma rates are on the rise. But, if caught early, melanoma can be treated very successfully. So, if we can develop a better system of encouraging people to go to the doctor this could potentially save a great deal of lives."In May, it emerged that ipilimumab, a skin cancer drug that can extend the lives of sufferers for up to five years, was rejected by health bosses because it is too expensive.Trials found that half of those given the drug were still alive a year later – twice as many as those given an alternative treatment. The drug works by teaching the immune system to tackle melanomas.But the Scottish Medicines Consortium issued guidance that the drug should not be made available, saying the "justification of the treatment's cost in relation to its health benefits was not sufficient".It is not routinely available on the NHS in England, but ipilimumab can be applied for via the Cancer Drugs Fund, which is unavailable in Scotland. The treatment, in which patients are connected to a drip four times, would cost £45,000 per patient.

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Skin cancer cases soar among Scots aged over 50

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