Cases of skin cancer in the UK are projected to reach a record high this year of 20,800, a charity has warned.
With warmer summer weather finally looking likely for much of the UK from this weekend onwards, Cancer Research UK is urging people to be vigilant about the risks of skin cancer.
Around 17,000 cases of melanoma each year are preventable, it has said, because almost nine in 10 cases in the UK are caused by exposure to too much ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun – including working outside – and sunbeds.
The upward trend in melanoma cases is being seen across all age groups, although the charity’s researchers found that the biggest rise was in adults over the age of 80. This age group has seen an increase in incidence rates of 57% over the past decade.
Rates are also rising for young adults between the ages of 25-49, with a 7% increase in incidence in the last 10 years.
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It is likely that young people today are more aware of the link between UV and skin cancer risk than older generations, Cancer Research UK has said. This could mean they are more likely to take precautions to stay safe in the sun.
On the other hand, older groups might have known less about the dangers of tanning in their youth and may have taken advantage of the cheap package holiday boom from the 1960s, likely leading to increased sun exposure.
There are also other reasons behind the rise in skin cancer cases, it has added, such as our growing and ageing population.
Improved awareness of the signs and symptoms of skin cancer likely means more people are visiting their doctor when they notice unusual skin changes, which has also contributed to record numbers of people being diagnosed in the UK.
Despite the increasing cases, the number of deaths from melanoma is projected to continue to fall, Cancer Research UK has said.
This is thanks to research and improvements in early diagnosis and treatment, which have resulted in melanoma survival doubling rates in the last 50 years, it has added.
“Survival from cancers including melanoma continues to improve, demonstrating the substantial progress made possible by research. But it’s vital that people try to reduce their risk of getting the disease in the first place,” said Michelle Mitchell, the charity’s chief executive.
Separately, the NHS announced it has treated its first patient in England with a personalised vaccine against their bowel cancer, in a clinical trial as part of NHS England’s new Cancer Vaccine Launch Pad.
As part of the platform, thousands of cancer patients in England are set to gain fast-tracked access to trials of personalised cancer vaccines following the launch of a world-leading NHS trial ‘matchmaking’ service to help find new life-saving treatments.
The vaccines being tested as part of the trials aim to help patients with different types of cancer and, if successfully developed, researched and approved, cancer vaccines could become part of standard care.
“It’s incredibly exciting that patients in England are beginning to access personalised cancer vaccines for bowel cancer,” said Iain Foulkes, executive director of research and innovation at Cancer Research UK.
“This technology pioneers the use of mRNA-based vaccines to sensitise people’s immune system and in turn detect and target cancer at its earliest stages.
“Clinical trials like this are vital in helping more people live longer, better lives, free from the fear of cancer. If successful, the vaccine will be a game changer in preventing the onset or return of bowel cancer,” Foulkes added.
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