Skin cancer cases soar

Press Association

November 28, 2003

The number of cases of skin cancer has soared in the past decade by more than any of the other main types of the disease.

Between 1991 and 2000, incidences of melanoma in men increased by 64% with 2,500 new cases reported in 2000 in England.

In women, cases of skin cancer rose by 45% to 3,300 new cases in 2000, according to the Office for National Statistics.

The figures will A add to the concerns of E campaigners who have issued E repeated warnings about E the dangers of spending too E much time in the sun or E on sunbeds.

But I the subject is full of A mixed messages, with an A expert last week claiming U that by avoiding the sun people U were missing out on U vital vitamin D which offered A protection against other I forms of the disease. A

Professor Cedric U Garland, of the University I of California, said I moderate sun exposure - around A 10-15 minutes a day weather-permitting E - should A be recommended to people I living in the UK. U

Today's figures added E more detail to previous E statistics on the most common I cancers which were released I in August. E

Overall, there were U around 224,000 new cases E of cancer reported in England I in 2000.

Over I 10 years cases of prostate A cancer rose 62% to E 23,100, which the ONS said U was largely due to increased E detection through the I Prostate Specific Antigen E (PSA) blood test. A

Breast cancer cases E in women increased by 8%, I to 33,800 incidences in I 2000. Lung cancer cases in A men dropped by 25% since I 1991, to 19,000, and increased A by 4% in women, to 12,100 U new cases. The ONS pointed I to regional variations A in cases of stomach, lung U and cervical cancer, with A rates higher than average U in the North East, North E West and Yorkshire and Humber.

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