Experts' warning as skin cancer rates could treble

The popularity of sunbeds among the young is storing up long-term health risks which far outweigh the short-term cosmetic benefits of a tan, a cancer conference was told today.

The most serious form of skin cancer has trebled in the North since the 1980s and is set to treble again in the next 25 years, delegates were told.

Skin cancer accounts for a quarter of all cancers in the province with the most serious – malignant melanoma – increasing from 80 cases in 1984 to 259 in 2007, the gathering in Lisburn, Co Antrim, was told.

Another 2,500 people a year are diagnosed with the most common and less dangerous non-melanoma skin cancers.

The conference, entitled Skin Cancer – A Burning Issue, was organised by the Northern Ireland Melanoma Strategy Implementation Group (NIMSIG) to help develop strategies and programmes to tackle the adverse health effects of over-exposure to sunlight and sunbeds.

Particular concern was raised about the lack of regulation of sunbed use.

Tom Crossan, vice chairman of NIMSIG, said: “While we have seen rates of skin cancer treble since the 1980s, we expect that by 2035 they will have trebled again.

“This conference is therefore of vital importance to help shape our understanding and steer future programmes on skin cancer and sunbeds.”

He revealed the UK, with the exception of Scotland, was lagging behind a number of western countries in not having legislation regarding sunbed facilities.

Dr Paddy Woods, acting deputy chief medical officer at the Department of Health, said the majority of skin cancers were associated with over exposure to ultra violet light, especially significant at a young age.

“There are simple measures we can all take to minimise such harm; covering up, applying high factor sun screen and avoiding the midday sun.

“These measures are essential ... not just when travelling to the world’s sunspots, but also in the relatively mind weather conditions locally.

“The current popularity of sunbeds, particularly among the young, poses longer term health risks which far outweigh the short-term cosmetic benefits of a tan,” he said.

The key message was that over exposing the skin to harmful rays, whatever the source, was dangerous, he added.

Sandra Gordon, the North's melanoma strategy co-ordinator at the Ulster Cancer Foundation, said: “Approximately 80% of skin cancers are preventable by following the basic sun protection messages and avoidance of sunbed use.”