MELANOMA AWARENESS MONTH 
Did you know that Melanoma is the deadliest form of skin cancer, accounting for 1% of all cancer deaths and killing 2,300 people in the UK per year?
I met with melanoma skin cancer specialists and patients with first-hand experience of melanoma to discuss the importance of symptom awareness and skin protection in reducing the growing number of melanoma skin cancer cases in the UK.
Melanoma skin cancer is becoming more common in the UK with around 16,700 new cases every year (46 every day). Since the early 1990s incidence rates have more than doubled and in males, they have almost tripled. It is expected to continue to rise.
1 in 36 men and 1 in 47 women in the UK will be diagnosed with melanoma skin cancer in
their lifetime. Yet 86% of melanomas are preventable.
Preventing melanoma
Melanoma is not always preventable, but you can reduce your chances of developing it by avoiding getting sunburned (even going pink in the sun).
Most people get sunburned while on holiday abroad, or in the UK during the summer while doing outdoor activities such as gardening, sunbathing or playing cricket.
On these occasions you need to be very careful, particularly if you have pale skin and many moles.
You can help protect yourself from sun damage by using sunscreen and dressing sensibly in the sun.
Sunbeds and sunlamps should be avoided.
Regularly checking your skin can help lead to an early diagnosis and increase your chances of successful treatment.
