Protect yourself from skin cancer this summer

As the nights grow longer and the sun makes its long-awaited appearance, thousands of Britons will be flocking to the beach en masse. But as well as long evenings spent in beer gardens, the sun also brings with it a serious threat of skin cancer if we don’t take precautions.

Skin cancer statistics

Skin cancer, known as melanoma, is the third most common cancer among people aged 15 to 39. In 2011, 13,348 people in the UK were diagnosed with malignant melanoma skin cancer.

Additionally, malignant melanoma is almost twice as common in young women (up to age 34) as in young men, but more men are known to die from it.

How to prevent skin cancer

The easiest way to reduce the risk of developing skin cancer is to ensure that you protect yourself from the sun’s harmful rays:

• Try to stay out of the sun at the hottest times of day; usually from 11am-3pm.
• If you do find yourself exposed to the sun, use high-factor sun cream liberally.
• Avoid sunbeds; everyone wants a healthy golden glow in summer, but it’s much healthier to use one of the many fake tan products on the market than to expose yourself to harmful UV rays.

Skin Cancer Diagnosis

88.2% of people suffering from skin cancer survive, but failure to correctly diagnose a melanoma can have devastating consequences. Treatable melanomas can rapidly metastasize (meaning to spread to other areas of the body) and become life threatening if not analysed.

Conversely, harmless moles can sometimes be incorrectly diagnosed; leading to unnecessary biopsies and even chemotherapy.

If you feel that you have suffered needlessly, or that you face advanced stage melanoma because of a failure to diagnose or misdiagnosis, and you would like expert advice, contact the Hampson Hughes Solicitors Medical Negligence Team today on 0151 242 1025 or email