Experts warn of possible increase in skin cancer

A medical study has warned that the number of people diagnosed with non-melanoma skin cancer will rise from the 213,217 seen in 2010 to 380,002 cases a year by 2025.

Published in the British Journal of Dermatology, the British Association of Dermatologists predict that the increase in cases, a rise of 78 per cent, will see the NHS’s costs of treating the disease rise to as much as £465 million a year.

The reasons for the increase were highlighted as ‘more affordable foreign holidays, the widespread desire for tanned skin and increased use of sunbeds’.

Matthew Gass of the British Association of Dermatologists said: “The UK has been fighting to combat the rising tide of skin cancer over the last few decades, and this research shows that things are going to get worse. As it stands many dermatology departments are struggling to manage the increasing rates of skin cancer, at a cost to people with other skin diseases.

“This situation will be made even worse by rising staff shortages - we are not being allowed to train an adequate number of doctors to cope with the current workload in dermatology resulting in almost a quarter of Consultant Dermatologist posts in the UK being unfilled. This workforce shortage will only get worse in the future.

“This research is invaluable in that it gives us a snapshot of what the future holds, giving the NHS and the government the opportunity to plan ahead and prepare, we can only hope that the warning is heeded.”

Dr Nick Levell, president of the British Association of Dermatologists said: “Our study shows that non-melanoma skin cancer, the commonest cancer in the UK, is increasing rapidly. Within ten years we will see over a third of a million cancers per year. Skin cancer can affect all ages of adults and it becomes commoner in the elderly. We need more money spending on public health campaigns, more staff to treat the cancers and more operating theatres in which to do the work, if the public wishes these cancers to be treated promptly by the NHS in the future.”