With baking summers starting to become the norm, UK cancer specialists predict there could be 26,500 new cases of melanoma every year by 2038. At present, Cancer Research UK estimates that around 16,700 Brits are diagnosed with melanoma on an annual basis, which works out at around 46 cases per day.
“We’re seeing more cases because people are just travelling a lot more to warmer climates,” says Susanna Daniels, the CEO of UK-based charity Melanoma Focus. “And in recent years we’ve been having these hotter spells in this country.”
“It’s the short, sharp shock of sunburn, which is the highest risk factor, especially in fair-skinned people,” says Dr Rowland Payne, consultant dermatologist at Devonshire Dermatology, who has had many crowned heads in his consultant rooms.
“Particularly in people who have a little bit of red colouring, for example, if you have red or auburn hair, then that’s a particularly susceptible colouring for melanoma.”
A friend of the Duchess of York’s commented that this is close to home, as her father had a melanoma when he died, but added: “Sarah is very resilient.”
“There is a slight genetic susceptibility between breast cancer, melanoma and colon cancer. Some patients can have all three conditions in the same family,” says Dr Rowland Payne.
“It makes sense in such patients to have a colonoscopy, and, in the right age group, mammograms, and to have a total skin examination from time to time.”
According to Cancer Research UK, 86 per cent of all melanoma cases are preventable. Experts like Daniels say that they could be entirely avoided by following sensible precautions such as staying in the shade between 11am and 3pm, and wearing a broad-rimmed sunhat and UV-protected sunglasses.
Suncream needs to be at least factor 30, with a four- or five-star rating. This rating is a measure of how much UVA – ultraviolet rays from the sun, which are capable of penetrating deep into the skin and damaging cells – the suncream is blocking.
“It’s important to reapply suncream, particularly if you’ve been swimming or you’ve been out, because your clothes can rub it off,” says Daniels. “So we recommend that you reapply every couple of hours.”
“The primary thing is prevention of sunburn,” agrees Dr Rowland Payne, “and reporting anything that changes. If your child has many moles, and there’s a family history of melanoma, it might be worth a visit to the dermatologist in the teenage years.”
So what exactly does a melanoma look like, and how does it develop? Read on.