YOUR HEALTH
with Dr. Thakkar
BE SAVVY WITH YOUR
SUN CREAM
Malignant melanoma is a type of skin cancer that has increased
by over 70% in the last 20 years. Whilst other skin cancers such as
basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinomas are important,
melanoma is an aggressive tumour that spreads both locally
around where the initial lesion is, and to other parts of the body.
Some tumours, like lung cancer, tend to
favour spreading to certain body parts
such as bone, liver and brain, whereas
melanoma spreads wherever it likes,
from the eye and brain, to lung and gut.
Melanomas take various different guises.
They can arise from existing moles or
arise “de novo”. Either way, they are
usually, but not always, pigmented.
Melanomatous lesions tend to look
irregular and they grow or evolve over
time. The lesions may itch or bleed and
are often, but not always, found in sun
exposed areas of the body such as the
face, shoulders, arms, back and legs.
So how can you reduce your risk of
melanoma? There are genetic risk
factors associated with melanoma
and it’s more common with increasing
age. People with fair skin and red hair
are also more at risk. Skin that has a
tendency to burn rather than tan is more
prone to melanoma. The key risk factor,
however, is ultraviolet light exposure.
Sun beds and repeated sun burning,
or intermittent exposure to strong sun
light, can radically increase melanoma
risk. Sun bed use before age 35 confers
a particular risk. Whilst sun cream is
absolutely recommended, be wary not
to use it as an excuse to burn or stay out
in the sun longer, you will still be at risk.
The message here is protect your skin
from sun beds, strong sun and sun burn.
If you discover a concerning skin lesion,
see your GP and don’t take risks.
Your GP may consider the lesion as
benign and reassure you or, if they are
concerned, they will refer you to a skin
specialist who will determine if it is a
melanoma or not and treat accordingly.
Treatments include surgery, radiotherapy
and different chemotherapy agents.
Melanoma kills around 2500 people a
year in the U.K. Survival depends on
several factors including the fitness of
the patient, how aggressive the tumour
is and whether it has spread. It’s a
devastating disease and there is no
room for complacency. Yet again, and
like most conditions discussed in this
health series, prevention is undoubtedly
the best policy.
Dr. Thakkar is a GP
at Pound House Surgery
Chiltern Clinical
Commissioning Group
20
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