Campaign news

The rates of men dying from malignant melanoma – the deadliest form of skin cancer – have doubled in the last 30 years, according to the latest figures from Cancer Research UK.

In the late 70s fewer than 400 (1.5 per 100,000) men died from melanoma but now more than 1100 (3.1 per 100,000) men are dying from the disease.
Experts are concerned because this sharp rise in death rates from malignant melanoma is due to so many more men developing what is largely a preventable disease.

Read the full press release for more details.

Parliament has passed a new law to protect children under-18s from using sunbeds. The Sunbeds (Regulation) Act was introduced as a Private Member’s Bill by Julie Morgan MP in December 2009, with support from Cancer Research UK as well as Baroness Finlay and Sian James (MP).

From April 2011all sunbed salons in England and Wales will be prohibited from allowing under 18s from using sunbeds. This means salons will have to be staffed. We are continuing our work to ensure that proper regulation will also ensure that all salons will provide information about the health risks of using sunbeds for adults who continue to do so.

Read more about the new legislation on the Cancer Research UK Science Update blog.

The 2010 SunSmart campaign launches with the news that people in their 60s and 70s are now over five times more likely to be diagnosed with malignant melanoma – the deadliest type of skin cancer – than their parents would have been 30 years ago.

The stark rise shows the impact that a shift in tanning behaviour has had on a whole generation of men and women who would have been in their 20s and 30s during the dawn of cheap package holidays in the 1970s – when getting sunburnt before a suntan was a common ritual. This was also the era when sunbeds first arrived in the UK.

Caroline Cerny, SunSmart manager at Cancer Research UK, said: “The battle against melanoma is far from won. Today the problem threatens to get worse as teenagers continue to crave a tan on the beach and top it up cheaply on sunbeds. But there is hope, as melanoma is largely preventable. The most important thing you can do to protect your skin is not to burn - don’t let sunburn catch you out - whether at home or abroad, use shade, clothing and regularly apply plenty of sunscreen to protect your skin. People with fair skin, freckles and lots of moles should take extra care in the sun. But everyone should avoid the temptation to redden or burn in order to get a tan.”

See the full press release for more details.

Cancer Research UK was last year commissioned by the National Cancer Action Team, supported by the Department of Health, to explore the extent and patterns of sunbed use among children in England. The research (recently published in the British Medical Journal) found that more than one quarter of a million children aged 11-17 are risking their health by using sunbeds. The full paper – together with all questionnaires and pilot study data – is available to download from the Cancer Stats pages of the Cancer Research UK website.

On 1st December 2009 Scotland took steps to protect children from sunbeds by prohibiting use amongst under 18s. Legislation also banned the use of unsupervised salons and ensured that adults are fully informed of the risks. Cancer Research UK wants Westminster to bring the rest of the UK up to Scottish standards.

For more information on Cancer Research UK and Healthier Scotland's campaign to raise awareness of the dangers of sunbeds visit www.truthaboutsunbeds.org.

Soap Star Gemma Merna has got up-close-and-personal with her skin to highlight the dangers of sunbeds for Cancer Research UK’s SunSmart campaign. The actress, who plays Carmel Valentine in Channel 4’s Hollyoaks, is known for her looks and year round tan. But, in exclusive images shot for Cancer Research UK, she has removed all traces of make-up and gone under the camera to highlight the hidden damage that sunbeds and overexposure to UV light can cause.

The South West Public Health Observatory has launched a new website to promote skin cancer prevention and early diagnosis. The website has information for health professionals and others working to reduce skin cancer in England. It includes the latest skin cancer statistics at local authority level and a database of interventions. Visit the Skin Cancer Hub website for more details.

The SunSmart team has issued a press release to highlight the fact that the number of people diagnosed with melanoma skin cancer in the UK has risen to over 10,000 for the first time. The number of cases has risen by more than 650 since 2008, taking the number of cases diagnosed in the UK to over 10,400.

Cancer Research UK conducted a survey to look into the number of people swapping holidays for sunbeds in a bid to save money during the credit crunch. The survey showed that almost a fifth of sunbed users who completed the survey are planning to increase their sunbed usage because they cannot afford to go on a summer holiday.

The Health and Safety Executive has recently updated it's guidance for sunbed users and sunbed operators.

These guidelines are currently voluntary, but Cancer Research UK remains concerned about the use of sunbeds in the UK, especially by young people. We recommend that anyone with fair skin, lots of moles or a family history of skin cancer avoid sunbeds. We believe under-18s should not be allowed to use sunbeds and support the banning of un-staffed coin-operated salons. We are also working with others to investigate greater regulation of the sunbed industry. For more information on this download our Cancer Research UK Policy Statement on Sunbeds.