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Skin Cancer Soars Among Young Brits

by Thilaka Ravi on Apr 7 2011 11:30 PM

 Skin Cancer Soars Among Young Brits
Skin cancer is soaring among young people in Britain due to the use of sunbeds and lack of care on summer holidays, with more than two Britons under 35 being diagnosed every day, according to a study by Cancer Research UK.
Rates of malignant melanoma have tripled among those aged 15 to 34 since the late 1970s, the analysis shows.

The number of cases of melanoma has risen to 5.9 per 100,000 people from 1.8 cases in the earlier period.

It is thought sunbeds are playing a role in boosting cancer rates among young people, as well as failing to use sufficient protection against the sun's strong rays while on holiday abroad.

Launching its annual SunSmart campaign, which promotes the use of suntan lotion and covering up in midday sun, the charity said more than 900 young Britons are newly-diagnosed with the disease each year.

It also warned that older people are at risk, with skin cancer rates rising among all age groups.

Sara Hiom, director of health information at Cancer Research UK, said: "While some sunshine is good for us, going red and burning can be dangerous.

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"The most important thing people can do to reduce their chances of developing skin cancer is to make sure they don't get red or burn.

"And the best way to do that is to get to know your skin and how long you can safely stay in the sun, and also avoid sunbeds."

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"The explosion in melanoma rates we are seeing now reflects people's tanning behaviour in the past and the desire to sport a suntan - a trend which began in the 70s with the dawn of cheap package holidays. All too often, holidaymakers thought getting sunburnt was part of the process of getting a tan."

Caroline Cerny, Cancer Research UK's SunSmart campaign manager, said: "It's very worrying to see that the number of young adults being diagnosed with this potentially fatal disease has risen so dramatically, especially since cancer is typically a disease that affects older people.

"With summer approaching after such a harsh winter, everyone is looking forward to enjoying some sunshine. But it's more important than ever to be aware of the dangers of getting sunburnt."

Nina Goad, of the British Association of Dermatologists, said better early diagnosis may be behind some of today's figures. "The fact that skin cancer rates are increasing to such an extent in such a young age group shows that the disease is not just a consequence of lack of sun safety knowledge in previous decades," she said.

"It is our current behaviour that needs to be addressed -- four out of five cases of the disease are preventable. Likewise, early detection is crucial - it is the one cancer which you can see very clearly on the outside of the body."

"Earlier detection and increased awareness of symptoms may have led to some cases being detected in younger age groups, which is why people need to learn both how to spot signs of the disease, and how to prevent it in the first place."

Source-AFP


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