Skin cancer is one of the most common types of cancer in the UK. Prevention and early detection are key to saving lives. For this year’s Sun Awareness Week (12th - 18th May 2025), we want to highlight ways to help you stay safe in the sun and protect your skin. Keep reading to find out more about the different types of skin cancer and what you can do to reduce your risk of developing it.
Before we delve into the details about skin cancer, let’s start off by debunking five common sun-exposure myths:
Myth 1: You can’t get sunburn through glass or clouds. FALSE: Ultraviolet (UV) light can pass through glass and clouds. Check the UV-index in the weather forecast — if it’s 3 or above you can get sunburnt.
Myth 2: People with dark skin don’t need sun cream. FALSE: Anyone can get sunburnt. In people with darker skin, sunburnt skin may not change colour but it could be itchy, irritated and tender.
Myth 3: Sunbeds are safer than sun exposure. FALSE: The UV light exposure from sunbeds is often higher than the sun.
Myth 4: Tanning is safe as long as your skin doesn’t burn. FALSE: Tanning is a sign of skin damage, with your body producing more melanin to protect itself in response to UV light.
Myth 5: You can only burn in summer or when it’s warm outside. FALSE: Sunburn is caused by UV light, not by heat. You can still get sunburnt during winter especially if UV rays reflect off surfaces like snow.
What causes skin cancer?
UV light, from the sun and sunbeds, is the main cause of skin cancer. Although you can’t see it or feel it, UV light can pass through clouds and reflect off surfaces, even in cooler temperatures. Over time, UV light damages the cells in the skin making them divide and grow more quickly than normal.
What are the different types of skin cancer?
Skin cancer is grouped in two main types: Melanoma and Non-melanoma skin cancers.
Non-melanoma skin cancer:
- In the UK, over 260,000 cases of non-melanoma skin cancer are being diagnosed each year.
- Non-melanoma cancer includes basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC).
- BCCs and SCCs are mostly found in areas which are sun-exposed such as the nose, cheeks, forehead, backs of the lower legs and hands.
- They are most likely caused by years of UV exposure.
- The main symptom is often an unusual patch or growth on the skin.
- They are often slow growing. BCCs generally don’t spread to other areas of the body but in some cases SCCs can spread.
- There is a high cure rate for non-melanoma skin cancer and often only minor surgery is needed.
Melanoma skin cancer:
- Malignant melanoma (MM) is a more serious form of skin cancer that can spread to other parts of the body.
- In the UK, around 17,500 people are diagnosed each year with melanoma.
- It can start anywhere on your skin including within a mole, on the soles of your feet, on the palms of your hands and even under the nails.
- A study by Queen’s University Belfast found that 95.9% of patients (who were diagnosed in NI with a malignant melanoma between 2013-2017) were alive at one year and 80.8% were alive at five years.
Credit: Infographic by ScreenCancer UK. For more information see: https://screencancer.com/facts-about-skincancer/
Who is most at risk of developing skin cancer?
The following groups of people are at higher risk of developing skin cancer:
- Very fair skin types, especially those with red/fair hair and lots of freckles
- A history of severe sunburn
- Previous sunbed use
- Family history of melanoma
- People with multiple moles
- Lowered immunity (from medication, infection or illness)
What can I do to prevent sun damage? SKCIN is a UK Skin Cancer charity that recommends five simple steps for sun safety when UV levels reach 3 or more:
- SLIP on clothing and coverup your skin
- SLOP on suncream with an SPF 30+ with 4- or 5-star UVA protection rating
- SLAP on your wide brimmed hat
- SLIDE on good quality sunglasses with UVA protection
- SHADE from the sun, when possible, especially during peak times of 11am -3pm
How can I check my skin and moles?
For non-melanoma skin cancers, watch out for scabs or sores that won’t heal or bleed occasionally. Keep an eye out for any crusty, itchy or scaly skin patches that look inflamed or red (this could be due to another skin condition but get it checked out to be sure). You may also notice a pearly flesh coloured lump that doesn’t disappear and grows in size.
Healthcare professionals use the ABCDE checklist to help them look for the signs of malignant melanomas:
- A= Asymmetrical: Check if the two halves differ in shape or size. Normal moles are often round, whereas melanomas have an uneven shape.
- B= Border: Check if the edges of the mole are irregular. Melanomas are more likely to have blurred, jagged or irregular edges. Normal moles often have smooth edges.
- C= Colour: Check if the colour is uneven. Melanomas often have different shades of black, brown and/or pink, and the colour can be uneven. Normal moles generally have an even colour.
- D= Diameter: Most melanomas are bigger than 6mm wide. Normal moles are often smaller than 6mm or the size of a pencil eraser.
- E= Evolving: Melanomas may change in shape, colour or size. You may also notice itching, crusting, bleeding or a change in sensation.
If you have some of these symptoms or changes, it doesn’t mean you definitely have skin cancer but it’s important that you get checked out by a healthcare professional. If there is any doubt, always get it checked out. It’s a good idea to know what your skin or mole normally looks like so you can identify any unusual changes. Some people like to take pictures, especially of moles, so they can look back and see if anything has changed.
Northern Clinics has recently partnered up with ScreenCancer UK to offer a private Mole Scanning Service using highly experienced dermatology specialists and nurses. If you have concerns about a mole or lesion, it is important that you consult a healthcare professional. You can either visit your GP or you may wish to book an appointment at one of our clinics that offers the mole scanning service (please note that this is a private service so fees apply). Check out our mole scanning blog to find out more about how this service works.
This blog was written by Dr Deborah Patton, MPSNI, MPharm, PhD (Community Pharmacist at Northern Pharmacies).
References and resources:
https://screencancer.com/facts-about-skincancer/
https://www.skcin.org/resources/awareness-resources/
https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/skin-cancer/types
https://www.qub.ac.uk/research-centres/nicr/CancerInformation/official-statistics/BySite/MalignantMelanoma/
