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24/07/2012
Skin Cancer Spike In Over-50s
The rise of package holidays and the fashion for tanning in the 1970s and 1980s have been blamed for a spike in skin cancer cases in Northern Ireland's over-50s.
Figures from Cancer Research UK showed that rates of malignant melanoma, the most dangerous form of skin cancer, have risen by a third since the mid-1990s.
Then, there were about 18 cases of the cancer among every 100,000 people in their 50s, but this has now risen to about 24 per 100,000.
One person aged between 50 and 59 is diagnosed every week with the disease in Northern Ireland.
Jean Walsh of Cancer Research UK 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. We want to highlight the signs and symptoms of skin cancer and encourage people to visit their doctor promptly if they notice any unusual changes in their skin."
Melanoma can travel to other parts of the body, making it difficult to treat.
(NE)
Figures from Cancer Research UK showed that rates of malignant melanoma, the most dangerous form of skin cancer, have risen by a third since the mid-1990s.
Then, there were about 18 cases of the cancer among every 100,000 people in their 50s, but this has now risen to about 24 per 100,000.
One person aged between 50 and 59 is diagnosed every week with the disease in Northern Ireland.
Jean Walsh of Cancer Research UK 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. We want to highlight the signs and symptoms of skin cancer and encourage people to visit their doctor promptly if they notice any unusual changes in their skin."
Melanoma can travel to other parts of the body, making it difficult to treat.
(NE)
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Northern Ireland WeatherToday:A cloudy day with a little light rain or drizzle at times, but some spells of drier weather too. The north coast may become somewhat brighter later this afternoon. Maximum temperature 11 °C.Tonight:Cloudy and patchy light rain will slowly clear away this evening. Then the rest of the night will be dry with broken cloud. Westerly winds freshening in the early hours. Minimum temperature 6 °C.
