MORE than one person in their 50s in the North East is diagnosed with skin cancer every week, new figures have revealed.
Statistics released today by Cancer Research UK shows the number of middle-aged men and women being diagnosed with malignant melanoma nationwide has soared since the end of the 1970s.
Rates of the potentially-fatal illness have tripled over the past 30 years, increasing from 7.5 cases of melanoma per 100,000 to 26.6 cases per 100,000.
In the North East, approximately 440 people of all ages are diagnosed with malignant melanoma every year and around 70 die from the disease.
One man who knows the devastation of being diagnosed with the illness is grandfather-of-two Alan Storey.
The 64-year-old?s life was turned upside when he was told he had malignant melanoma in February 2003.
He had eight-hour surgery at Newcastle?s Royal Victoria Infirmary to remove a large tumour from his scalp, two small ones from the back of his head, as well as 17 lymph nodes.
Mr Storey, of North Shields, is doing well and goes to hospital every six months to check the cancer has not returned.
The pub landlord said: ?I was fortunate that I was treated very quickly and successfully. It?s really important that skin cancer is caught early.
?All too often cancer is detected further down the line when effective treatment becomes more difficult.?
Recent research also shows that the total number of cases of malignant melanoma for all ages has increased from around 12,100 in the UK in 2009 to approximately 12,800 in 2010 ? a rise of more than 5%.
It is likely that a change in the culture of tanning several decades ago with the explosion of cheap package holidays and the introduction of sunbeds in the 70s could have played a role in the rise of cases.
Amanda Healy, NHS South of Tyne and Wear?s Director of Public Health, said ?There are many types of skin cancer, most of which are associated with increased exposure to ultra-violet light such as from sunlight and sunbeds.
?It is important to check your skin for any abnormalities. If you develop a bump, lesion or skin discolouration that shows no signs of healing after 14 days, see your GP.?
The stark rise in the rates of skin cancer has now prompted supermarket giant Tesco to launch a new in-store awareness campaign with Cancer Research UK, as part of their Charity of the Year partnership.
The aim is to raise awareness of the early signs of cancer ? including malignant melanoma ? because the earlier it is diagnosed, the better the chance people have of beating the disease.
Cancer Research UK leaflets about the early signs of skin cancer, and advice on preventing the disease, will be available to customers in Tesco pharmacies and cafes.
Paul Wadsworth, Cancer Research UK spokesman for the North East, said: ?If people are diagnosed when the cancer is in the early stages, before it has had a chance to spread around the body, treatment is more likely to be successful.?
Thirty years ago malignant melanoma was the 17th most common cancer among people in their 50s in Great Britain, now it is the fifth most common in this age group.
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