The incidence of skin cancer has doubled over the past 15 years and continues to rise. There are more than 40,000 new cases of skin cancer and 2,000 deaths per year.
Most skin cancers are curable and treatment is improving all the time.
This is less common but is the more harmful type of skin cancer. Although most cancers occur in middle to later life, melanoma is one of the most common cancers among 20-35 year olds. It is thought to be linked with episodes of sunburn due to occasional exposure to short periods of intense burning sunlight, for example when on holidays or at weekends. Nine out of ten cases of skin cancer are non-melanoma. There are two types, basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma.