Melanoma Fact Sheet MELANOMA DIAGNOSES ARE INCREASING AT EPIDEMIC

RATES. YOU CAN HELP MAKE A DIFFERENCE BY KNOWING

AND SHARING THE FACTS ABOUT MELANOMA.

KNOW THE FACTS

• Melanoma is the deadliest form of skin cancer.

• Melanoma skin cancer is the 5th most common cancer in the UK

• According to the World Health Organisation approximately 3,119 people are expected to die from melanoma in 2025 in UK.

• In 2025, it is projected that 19,513 people in the UK are expected to be diagnosed with melanoma.

• Melanoma is not just a skin cancer. It can develop anywhere on the body – eyes, scalp, nails, feet, mouth, etc.

• Melanoma does not discriminate by age, race or gender. Everyone is at risk.

• 49% of melanoma skin cancer cases in the UK are in females, and 51% are in males.

• In women, the most common place for melanoma to develop is on the legs

• In men, melanoma is most commonly found on the chest and back

• Melanoma is a type of cancer that starts in cells in the skin called melanocytes.

• The most common sign of melanoma is the appearance of a new mole or a change in an existing mole

• There are two main types of UV rays that damage our skin, both of which can cause skin cancer:

o UVB causes most sunburns

o UVA ages the skin, however contributes lesstowards sunburn

• People with fair skin, red or fair hair and freckles are more sensitive to the sun.

• The link between exposure to the sun and skin cancer wasn't discovered until 1956

• Nearly 90% of melanomas are thought to be caused by exposure to UV light and sunlight.

• It takes only one blistering sunburn, especially at a young age, to more than double a person’s chance of developing melanoma later in life.

• Exposure to tanning beds before

age 30 increases a person’s risk

of developing melanoma by 75%.

• Indoor tanning beds are proven to

cause cancer and have been

classified into the highest cancer

risk category by the World Health

Organization’s International

Agency for Cancer Research

(IARC).

• Young people who regularly use

tanning beds are 8 times more

likely to develop melanoma than

people who have never used

them.

• These tips can help protect your

skin from too much UV exposure:

o Seek shade when possible

o Cover up with clothing,

sunglasses and a wide-

brimmed hat

o Try to avoid being in the sun

between 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

o Use a broad-spectrum

sunscreen with SPF of at

least 30 and reapply every

two hours

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