Skin cancer, including non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC) and malignant melanoma, is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in the UK.

It is difficult to be exact about the numbers of skin cancer cases in the UK as registration data for NMSC is known to be incomplete. However statistics can give us some indication of incidence of skin cancer. In 2000 in the UK there were:

--- 62,000 cases of NMSC reported

--- nearly 7,000 cases of malignant melanoma registered

These figures under represent the number of cases of NMSC. The British Association of Dermatologists estimate that there are at least 100,000 new cases of skin cancer annually in the UK.

Although malignant melanoma makes up less than 10% of skin cancer cases, it is responsible for 80% of skin cancer deaths. And incidence rates for melanoma are rising at a worrying rate - up 16% from 1999 to 2000 alone. Melanoma is also the third most common cancer amongst 15 to 39 year olds.

Most skin cancers are preventable, with around 80% of melanomas being caused by exposure to sunlight. It is well established that UV radiation from the sun and from artificial sources, such as sun-beds and tanning lamps, can cause all forms of skin cancer.

More information

You can find more information about the causes, symptoms and treatment of skin cancer on our CancerHelp UK website.

http://www.cancerresearchuk.org