Skin cancer affects over 100,000 people in the UK with new cases of non-melanoma skin cancer. If affects more men than woman and is more common in the elderly. If you notice bumps on your skin it could be a warning sign of the disease. While bumpy moles aren’t always the cancerous ones, that’s not to say you shouldn’t point them out to your doctor. These bumps or spots may be raised and may ooze or bleed easily.
As the cancer grows, the size or shape of the visible skin mass may also change and the cancer may grow into deeper layers of the skin.
The first sign of non-melanoma skin cancer is usually the appearance of a lump or discoloured patch on the skin that continues to persist after a few weeks, and slowly progresses over months or sometimes years. This is the cancer, or tumour.
The NHS said: “In most cases, cancerous lumps are red and firm and sometimes turn into ulcers, while cancerous patches are usually flat and scaly.
“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.”
Love Island’s Doctor Alex George added: “People always need to be responsible when out in the sun and it’s worrying that so many people are taking extreme measures just to try and speed-up their tan.
‘Instead, what Britons should be going for is a good sun cream with a five star UVA rating.”
Common misconceptions around sun safety could be a reason why skin cancer is on the rise in the UK.
Common misconceptions around sun safety could be a reason why skin cancer is on the rise in the UK.
A worrying amount of Britons believe that the sun is stronger abroad that it is in the UK. Many Brits are also unsure of how UV and SPF ratings are determined and what they mean.
New data released by Cancer Research UK saw that one in ten adults in the UK don’t use any form of sun protection.
The survey showed that nearly half of UK adults have been sunburnt in the last 12 months. The survey also revealed that 74 per cent of UK adults say they would be unlikely to use sun protection on a cloudy day between April and September.
A staggering 91 per cent of Britons admitted confusion about the UV index and nearly half said that they don’t even use the UV index to help decide whether to use sun protection.
Emma Shields, health information manager at Cancer Research UK said: “This survey shows that confusion and sincere myths could be putting people at risk from the sun.
“The UK sun can be strong enough to burn in the UK from the start of April to end of September, even if it doesn’t feel that warm, or its a cloudy day, so it’s not just on holiday that you need to think about protecting your skin.”
Other symptoms to look out for with skin cancer include noticing flat dark moles, moles on your feet, eczema that won’t go away, bug bites that won’t go away, moles and bumps that bleed, moles that change shape, waxy or pearly bumps, new unexplained scars, growths that appear quickly, and any odd colours.
If a person knows what to watch out for and monitor their skin monthly for any changes, it could increase the chance of catching skin cancer in it’s earliest stages.
Doctor Marina Peredo of Skinfluence said: “Skin cancers found and revoked early are almost curable, so it’s important to pay attention to your skin’s changes and flag anything that seems unusual.
“Additionally, the longer you wait, the deadlier it becomes. There is also a greater chance of scarring for skin cancers that have been on the skin for a long time.”
If you find anything suspicious, you should speak with your GP, dermatologist or a health care professional who is qualified to recognise the signs of skin cancer and diagnose the disease.
