The number of skin cancer cases has doubled in the last 20 years and there are over 73,000 new cases of skin cancer reported each year in the UK, of which 8,000 are malignant melanoma.

There are three main types of skin cancer: basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma , and malignant melanoma. Malignant melanoma is the most serious type of skin cancer because the cancer can spread to other organs in the body (metastasis). Melanoma skin cancer is usually pigmented or coloured and is more dangerous. Many moles aren’t cancerous, but it’s vital to keep an eye on them.

A range of treatment options have proved successful in treating skin cancer. But about 1,800 people still die from malignant melanoma skin cancer annually. Treatment may include surgical removal, chemotherapy, radiotherapy or biological therapy, depending on the type of skin cancer. When skin cancer is found early it is much easier to treat. If diagnosed late, treatment is not usually able to cure the cancer.

Malignant melanoma is one of the most common cancers in people aged 20 - 35, affects indoors workers more than outdoor workers and is more common in women than men. Too much sunburn as a child increases the risk of skin cancer in later life, so children should be protected from the sun. Non-melanoma skin cancer affects men more than women and is more common in those who spend a lot of time outdoors.

People with inherited skin diseases should be especially careful as they are the highest risk to to get skin cancer, along with fair skinned people with freckles and moles and who spend too long in the sun without any protection. Dark skinned people are the least likely to get skin cancer but even they should be careful and monitor the state of any moles they may have.

Since there are similarities between regular skin conditions and skin cancer you may not be able to tell the difference purely by examination and therefore may require a biopsy. If it’s cancerous it’ll be removed by radiotherapy or surgery.

Both UVA and UVB can cause skin cancer. In the old days sun creams only blocked out UVB, but nowadays many suncreams block out a lot of UVA as well as UVB.

However, the main concern is that, because sun creams prevent burning, they make people think they can spend much longer in the sun, which will definitely increase their risk of getting skin cancer.