Skin cancer - The facts - The Clarke Clinic

This blog highlights some facts surrounding skin cancer. Our blog aims to raise skin cancer awareness, educate and enhance self-care.

Categories of skin cancer:

There are 2 main categories of skin cancer: ‘Non-melanoma’ skin cancer, and ‘melanoma’ skin cancer. (1)

What is non melanoma skin cancer? Non-melanoma skin cancers usually develop in the outermost layer of skin (epidermis) and are often named after the type of skin cell from which they develop.

The 2 most common types of non-melanoma skin cancer are:

Basal cell carcinoma – starts in the cells lining the bottom of the epidermis.
Squamous cell carcinoma – starts in the cells lining the top of the epidermis. (3)

Non-melanoma skin cancer most often develops on areas of skin regularly exposed to the sun, such as the face, ears, hands, shoulders, upper chest and back. (11)

Non-melanoma skin cancer is the most common cancer in the UK, with more than 152,000 new cases diagnosed every year; the equivalent of 416 every day (5)

What is melanoma skin cancer? Melanoma is a type of cancer that starts in skin cells called melanocytes. These cells make a pigment called melanin which gives skin its natural colour. Melanin helps to protect the body from ultraviolet light (UV radiation) from the sun. (2)

Melanomas can appear anywhere on your body, but they’re more common in areas often exposed to the sun. (6)

Melanoma is the deadliest form of skin cancer, and the 5th most common cancer in the UK (4)

Melanoma skin cancer is more dangerous because of its ability to spread to other areas of the body more rapidly, if it is not treated at an early stage. (12)

Melanoma risk factors:

Sun /UV Exposure: Over exposure to UV radiation from the sun and/or sunbeds is the main cause of melanoma.

Skin Type: Those with fairer skin who burn more easily are at greater risk of damaging their skin.

Moles: Almost everyone has moles, but generally speaking the more moles a person has, the greater risk of developing melanoma.

Personal History: Anyone with a history of melanoma is at a greater risk of recurrence and those with a history of non-melanoma skin cancer such as basal cell carcinoma or squamous cell carcinoma are at greater risk of melanoma.

Family History: Those with a family history of melanoma are at greater risk. (8)

Around 90 percent of non-melanoma skin cancers and approximately 86 percent of melanomas are associated with exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun (7)

Sunburn

Sunburn is a reaction to over exposure of UV radiation. Without sun protection, UV radiation penetrates deep into the layers of the skin causing damage to skin cells. (9)

One blistering sunburn in childhood or adolescence more than doubles a person’s chances of developing melanoma later in life. (9)

Peeling is a sign of sun damage and is the bodies way of removing damaged skin cells. (9)

A person’s risk for developing melanoma doubles if he or she has had five or more sunburns at any age. (9)

Other skin cancer facts:

Incidence: Rates of skin cancer are increasing faster than any other cancer in the UK, with figures doubling every 10-20 years. (10)

1 in 36 UK males and 1 in 47 UK females will be diagnosed with melanoma skin cancer in their lifetime. (13)

The South-west has the second highest overall rate of newly diagnosed cases of skin melanoma per 100,000 population in England in 2020, by region and gender* (15)

Location: In women, the most common place for melanoma to develop is on the legs. (4)

In men, melanoma is most commonly found on the chest and back. (4)

Mortality: Around 3448 people die from melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancer each year in the UK. (14)

Across all stages of melanoma, the average five-year survival rate in the U.S. is 94 percent. The estimated five-year survival rate for patients whose melanoma is detected early is over 99 percent. The survival rate falls to 71 percent when the disease reaches the lymph nodes and 32 percent when the disease metastasizes to distant organs. (14)

The Clarke Clinic – If you are concerned about a mole or lesion, seek professional advice. We work with ScreenCancer offering a specialist mole/lesion scanning service from our clinics in Liskeard and Saltash.

References:

(1) https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/melanoma/about

(2) https://www.melanomauk.org.uk/overview-of-melanoma

(3) https://www.nhsinform.scot/illnesses-and-conditions/cancer/cancer-types-in-adults/skin-cancer-non-melanoma

(4) https://www.melanomauk.org.uk/melanoma-facts-stats

(5) https://www.melanomauk.org.uk/non-melanoma-skin-cancer-report

(6) https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/melanoma-skin-cancer/symptoms/

(7) https://www.skincancer.org/press/2018-skin-cancer-awareness-month/

(8) https://www.skcin.org/typesOfSkinCancer/

(9) https://www.skcin.org/skinCancerInformation/sunburnTheFacts.htm

(10) https://www.skcin.org/skinCancerInformation/theProblemAndFacts.htm

(11) https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/non-melanoma-skin-cancer/