Skin cancer: worse than Oz

Skin cancer is claiming more lives in Britain than in Australia, according to new figures released today.

The death rate from the disease is more than a third higher here than it is Down Under. This is despite significantly more people in Australia being diagnosed with the most aggressive form of the condition.

Today dermatologists blamed sunseekers for ignoring repeated warnings to cover up and warned that the culture of complacency was costing thousands of lives every year.

Dr Richard Sullivan, head of clinical programmes at Cancer Research UK, said: "There are still some people who are completely ignorant about the risks, and others who just think it won't happen to them. People think that because we don't have much sun here, it is fine to go out without any sunscreen. But the risks are very real - even in cloudy weather - and this complacency is costing lives."

The latest figures were unveiled by Cancer Research UK in a joint campaign with the Government to raise skin cancer awareness. It is being supported by former champion racing driver Sir Jackie Stewart, who was successfully treated for the condition last year.

The new figures show that in the past five years there have been 8,100 British deaths from malignant melanoma, compared to 4,900 in Australia.

In a typical year, 7,850 cases of malignant melanoma are diagnosed in Australia compared to 5,990 in the UK, but the number of deaths in Australia is just 1,000 compared to 1,600 in Britain. More than 90 per cent of melanomas diagnosed in Australia are curable because they are detected so early.

Leading dermatologists say widespread ignorance about the disease in Britain means many victims fail to recognise the symptoms and do not seek help until the cancer has spread. Dr Charlotte Proby said: "The success of sun awareness campaigns in Australia is self-evident."

Skin cancer was responsible for only 400 deaths a year in England and Wales in the Sixties. The number of men with melanoma rose by 300 per cent between 1979 and 1998, while the number of women with the disease jumped by 200 per cent.

In Australia, skin cancer rates among women born after 1950 have now levelled off thanks to public education. The campaign there began 20 years before dangers of skin cancer were raised in Britain. In Australia, high-factor sun cream is available free at beaches and swimming pools.

The condition is caused by exposure to ultraviolet rays, with the risks particularly high in countries where the ozone layer has been badly depleted. Professor Robert Burton, senior adviser on Cancer to the Australian government, said: "It is now second nature to Australians to protect themselves in the sun."

Sir Jackie Stewart had surgery to remove a pre-cancerous lump from his face after being diagnosed with skin cancer last year. He admits that, before the scare, he was complacent about protecting himself from the sun.