Melanoma skin cancer cases have reached a record high in the UK, with new figures showing 20,980 people were diagnosed with the deadliest form of the disease in 2022 – the highest number ever recorded by Cancer Research UK.
The charity’s analysis also projects that annual diagnoses will climb to 26,500 by 2040, a rise of 23 per cent among men and 26 per cent among women. Incidence rates for melanoma have increased by around 26 per cent over the past decade, and the condition is now the fifth most common cancer in the UK.
Women are more likely than men to be diagnosed at younger ages, a trend linked to sunbathing and sunbed use. Men tend to develop melanoma later in life, driven by long-term cumulative exposure to the sun. The charity noted that overdiagnosis – where cancers that would never have caused harm are picked up – together with greater public awareness, may also be contributing to the rising figures.
Bank holiday sun warning as temperatures set to soar
The record numbers come just as the UK prepares for an exceptional spell of late-May warmth over the bank holiday weekend. The Met Office has forecast temperatures that could reach 33°C in southern England on Monday, potentially surpassing the May record of 32.8°C, with heatwave thresholds likely in parts of the country from Sunday.
In response, Cancer Research UK and its campaign partner Nivea Sun have issued renewed sun safety advice. Michelle Mitchell, the charity’s chief executive, said: “It’s concerning to see the rising number of people being diagnosed with melanoma skin cancer across the UK. The fact that most of these cases are preventable underlines the importance of people taking sun safety seriously.”
Experts estimate that around 86 per cent of melanoma cases in the UK could be avoided through better sun protection. The charity’s key recommendations include seeking shade between 11am and 3pm when UV rays are strongest, covering up with clothes that cover the shoulders, a wide-brimmed hat and UV-protection sunglasses, and applying a broad-spectrum sunscreen with at least SPF 30 and a four- or five-star rating. Sunscreen should be reapplied generously every two hours, and more often after swimming, sweating or towel drying.
“Sunburn is a clear sign your skin has been damaged,” said Fiona Osgun, head of health information at Cancer Research UK. “Whether you are enjoying being outside abroad or at home, it’s important to protect yourself from the sun. Sunburn doesn’t only happen when it’s hot – it can happen on cooler or cloudier days too.”
Early detection: what to look for and why it saves lives
With survival rates having improved dramatically – more than nine in ten people now live for ten years or longer after a melanoma diagnosis – early detection remains the single most important factor in treatment success. Michelle Mitchell urged anyone who notices unusual skin changes to contact their GP without delay.
“Whether it is a new or changing mole, a sore that doesn’t heal, or an area of your skin that looks out of the ordinary, it’s important to get it checked out,” she said. “It probably won’t be cancer, but if it is, getting it diagnosed and treated early can make all the difference.”
Regular self-examination is key. The charity advises looking for moles or marks that are asymmetrical, have irregular borders, contain multiple colours, are larger than a pencil eraser (about 6mm), or change in size, shape or colour over time. Any mole that becomes itchy, crusty or bleeds should also be examined by a GP.
In addition to melanoma, non-melanoma skin cancers are far more common – around 156,000 new cases are diagnosed each year in the UK, with an estimated lifetime risk of one in five people in England. While less aggressive, they still represent a significant health burden. Nationally, there has been a trend of increasing sunburn injuries over the last ten years.
Research indicates that sunbed use is a major preventable risk. Despite a legal ban for under-18s, around 28 per cent of UK adults admit to using sunbeds, a figure that rises to 43 per cent among 18- to 25-year-olds. First-time use before age 35 increases the risk of melanoma by 59 per cent, and sunbeds – classified as a Group 1 carcinogen by the World Health Organization – are estimated to cause around 440 melanomas and 100 deaths each year in the UK.
Climate change is also a concern: the UK has experienced its ten warmest years on record since 2002, and warmer weather encourages more time outdoors, increasing UV exposure even if the UV index itself remains steady.
On the treatment front, promising developments are under way. The NHS is fast-tracking eligible patients into trials for new cancer vaccines, including a DNA vaccine for melanoma. Personalised immunotherapy treatments such as lifileucel, which uses a patient’s own immune cells, have been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration and are under review in the UK. An investigational mRNA-based therapy combined with an existing drug has shown a 49 per cent reduction in the risk of death or cancer recurrence in patients with advanced melanoma.
‘I believe it saved my life’ – one patient’s story
Rebecca Dance, a mother of two from Wokingham in Berkshire, was diagnosed with malignant melanoma at the age of 39 after noticing a suspicious mole on her back. Her GP referred her to hospital, where the mole was removed.
Now 44, she recalled the terror of the diagnosis: “My whole life flashed in front of me because I just thought ‘oh my God, I’ve got cancer’. I was panicked and upset. I tried to live life as normal as I could between the diagnosis and surgery, but it was weighing on my mind.”
A single parent, she described her worst fear as dying and leaving her children. “I had my 40th birthday weeks before the surgery and I remember just breaking down on the night of it. In the run-up to the surgery, I would wake in the morning at 5am and cry and break out in tremors and sweats.”
She stressed that skin cancer does not only affect those who use sunbeds or deliberately sunbathe. “I’m a normal person that’s just got very pale skin and a lot of moles and it happened to me, too. Don’t delay speaking to your GP if you notice any changes – I believe it saved my life.”