Skin cancer link to deprived areas

People with melanoma — the most dangerous type of skin cancer — are less likely to survive if they are from a deprived area, it has emerged.

Melanoma, one of the most common cancers in the world and the leading cause of death from skin disease, is increasing faster than any other cancer and is rising rapidly in Ireland.

About 720 cases of mel-anoma are diagnosed in Ireland every year and, currently, more women are affected than men.

The National Cancer Registry has been concerned about a continuing increase in male mortality rates since the 1990s, in contrast with the relatively small increase for women.

In 2007 there were 105 deaths from the disease — 49 women and 56 men.

Consultant dermatologist, Dr Michelle Murphy, said a look at mortality statistics found melanoma survival was poorest in males from disadvantaged areas, especially those over 50 years old.

A joint study by the department of dermatology at the South Infirmary Victoria University Cork and the National Cancer Registry of Ireland looked at mortality figures between 1994 and 2008.

Dr Murphy, who was involved in the study, said that, up to now, melanoma has been seen as a disease of people from well-off backgrounds.

“Because of my clinical practice, I had thought for a long time that patients with deeper tumours and who did worse were from poorer backgrounds. It was important see if that was just my clinical impression or a statistical fact.”

Dr Murphy said a trawl through data on people who survived melanoma and those who died of the disease found that those from deprived areas fared worse.

Dr Murphy said the finding underlined the need to have a health promotion campaign that targeted people from deprived areas.