An exceptionally warm and dry summer in Europe meant that outdoor workers, and those who choose to spend leisure time in the sun, were confronted more directly than usual by the need to protect their skin from ultraviolet (UV) radiation, as well as avoid dehydration and overheating. In the UK, the annual total of new melanoma cases was reported to have risen above 20,000 for the first time earlier this year (the two most common forms of skin cancer, basal cell and squamous cell carcinoma, are less dangerous). As with other cancers, the increase in cases reflects an ageing and a growing population.
A third of those diagnosed with cancer in the UK are over 75. But with the NHS struggling to cope with the number of those seeking treatment, and melanoma the fifth most common cancer – after prostate, breast, lung and bowel (and excluding other skin cancers) – there are growing calls for behaviour change aligned to stronger public health measures. In May, a group of MPs proposed a ban on advertising sunbeds, which – along with sunburn and tanning – are linked with a raised risk of skin cancer.
Last year, a group of experts advocated banning their commercial use altogether, as in Australia and Brazil. There are lessons to be learned from other countries besides new laws. In Australia, melanoma is the third most common cancer, and strong public health warnings have been the norm for decades.
In 1981, a cartoon seagull was the face of a “slip, slop, slap” campaign aimed at persuading people to slip on a shirt, slop on sunscreen and slap on a hat. At school, children are expected to follow a “no hat, no play” rule (meaning no games in sunny outdoor spaces for those with bare heads). While some British nurseries and schools have adopted similar policies, awareness of the risks remains far lower.
Many people still habitually welcome bright sunshine and high temperatures. That is partly because these remain much rarer in the UK, especially in northern areas. For good reason, melanoma is less likely to be a priority for health authorities in Scotland than in south-east England.
But with global temperatures predicted to keep rising, and given their commitment to shift towards prevention in healthcare, UK ministers and local health bosses should look again at the risks of UV radiation and the factors driving it (the National Cancer Plan has already committed officials in England to seek further evidence on sunbeds). In Australia, doctors have objected to tanning apps promoted by influencers; in the UK there has been an increase in the popularity of tanning among young people, due in part to promotion on social media. Personalised care for many cancers, in the form of immunotherapy, has led to the present being termed a “golden age” for oncology.
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