According to Cancer Research UK, people who are 65 years old and above have about seven times more chances of getting malignant melanoma compared to rates 40 years ago, and this may have to do with the popularity of cheap holiday packages back in the day.
It turns out older men in Great Britain today are around 10 times likelier to be diagnosed with melanoma compared to their parents' generation, while the risk in older women today is about five times higher.
This translates into about 5,700 people who are 65 years old and above being diagnosed with melanoma every year, whereas the mid-1970s only saw about 600 new cases annually.
While age remains one of the biggest risks for developing melanoma, Cancer Research UK has determined that the increase in the number of cases may be linked to the boom in cheap holiday packages made available starting in the 1960s. People prized having a tan, so not much attention was paid to proper sun care.
The simple reddening of the skin is a sign of damage and getting a sunburn even just once every two years can already triple the risk for malignant melanoma, so just imagine what a yearly holiday under the sun could do to the skin.
"It's worrying to see melanoma rates increasing at such a fast pace, and across all age groups. It is very important for people to take care of their skin in the sun," said Richard Marais, a Manchester-based skin cancer expert with Cancer Research UK.
He advised people should be on the lookout for moles, as well as normal skin areas, that appear to be changing. Melanoma can be detected in any part of the body but is often observed on the back in men and legs in women.
Dr. Julie Sharp, head of health information at Cancer Research UK, said that most of the time, malignant melanoma is preventable. People just have to take precautions when under the sun, avoiding sunburns as much as possible. She said it's possible to burn at home as well, so make a habit of applying sunscreen with at least SPF 15 regularly.
About 13,000 people are diagnosed every year as having malignant melanoma, making the disease the fifth most common of cancers overall in the UK. Among people who are 15 to 34 years old, malignant melanoma is the second most common of cancers. Every year, the cancer claims 2,100 lives in the UK.
Photo: Nick Page | Flickr
