Cheap packages blamed for melanoma increase

A leading cancer charity has blamed “cheap package holidays and the desire to have a tan” for a sharp increase in skin cancers. A survey of 1,800 people for Cancer Research UK (CRUK) has found that some 70 per cent of 16- to 24-year-olds still want a tan – despite warnings that too much sun can be dangerous. Cases of melanoma, the most serious form of skin cancer, have increased by nearly a quarter in the last five years – with more than 7,000 cases in the UK each year. Just 7 per cent of those aged 16 to 24 said they avoided getting a tan. Charlotte Proby, of CRUK, is quoted in The Independent newspaper as saying that many teenagers had an obsession about getting a holiday tan. She added: “Ninety per cent of skin cancers are directly related to exposure to ultra-violet radiation. Cheap package holidays and a desire to have a tan are really responsible for the rise we are seeing.” The newspaper reports that the UK now has a higher death rate from skin cancer than in Australia. Report by Tim Gillett, News From Abroad