Skin cancer

Who gets it?

Over 69,000 people in the UK each year. Many cases are not reported so the real number of cases is probably much higher.

What is it?

There are two main types of skin cancer: malignant melanoma, and non-melanoma.

Malignant melanoma develops in the outer layer of skin, but can spread to other parts of the body. It's the least common type of skin cancer, but the third most common cancer in 15-39 year-olds. It's the most dangerous and life-threatening skin cancer of all.

Non-melanoma skin cancer is the most common and treated easiest. There are two types of non-melanoma skin cancer:

Basal cell cancer develops in the bottom layer of the epidermis. It grows slowly and almost never spreads, and is the most common type of skin cancer. It usually occurs on skin most exposed to the sun such as the head, neck, shoulders and limbs. It starts as a small round or flattened lump that's red, pale or pearly in colour.

Squamous cell skin cancer develops in the top layer of the epidermis, and is more serious than basal cell as it can spread if left untreated. It is the second most common type of skin cancer. It also mainly develops on skin most exposed to the sun. It looks like red scaly spots, lumps, or sores.

What causes it?

Ultraviolet (UV) radiation from sunlight or other sources such as sunlamps is the main cause, as it damages genes in the skin cells. When cells are damaged by the sun, melanin rushes to the surface to provide protection against the next onslaught. As you slowly build up a 'protective' tan, your skin darkens in response to damage on top of damage.

What are my risks?

The factors most commonly linked with skin cancer are:

• Skin colour type. People with fair skin, who go red or freckle in the sun, or have fair hair have a higher risk Black or brown-skinned people have a lower risk because the melanin pigment in their skin gives them protection
• Having a lot of moles
• If you don't tan easily, and often burn in the sun
• If two or more family members have had the disease
• Regular use of sunlamps and sunbeds
• If areas of skin have been badly burned, or have had long-term inflammation.

THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS TO AVOID BURNING YOUR SKIN.

How does the skin tan and how can you reduce your risk of developing skin cancer? Watch our Flash movie to find out.

What are the symptoms?

The symptoms of malignant melanoma are:

• An existing mole or dark patch getting larger or a new one growing
• A mole with a ragged outline (ordinary moles are smooth and regular)
• A mole with different shades of brown and black (ordinary moles may be dark brown but are all one shade).

There are other symptoms of skin cancer, but they don't necessarily mean you have a malignant melanoma, so keep an eye out for them:

• A mole that starts to bleed, ooze or crust
• A mole that is bigger than all your other moles
• A change in how your mole feels, like a mild itch.

If you notice anything unusual on your skin, which does not go away in two weeks, you should show it to your doctor. There are, however, many other conditions that may appear in the skin that are not cancer, particularly among older people.

Treatment

More than nine out of ten people with non-melanoma skin cancer are completely cured.

Surgery

This is the most common way to treat the disease, by surgically removing the lump or mole. Small cancers are usually removed under local anaesthetic, while larger tumours sometimes need skin grafts to replace the removed skin.

Radiotherapy

This may be used instead of surgery, or if there's a risk that some of the cancer cells are still there.

Chemotherapy

Though not often used to treat skin cancers, chemotherapy for skin cancer is usually a cream applied directly to the cancer.

Cryotherapy

This treatment involves freezing the cancer with liquid nitrogen and can only be used to remove small cancers on the top layer of the skin.