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Sharp Rise in Skin Cancer Deaths Sparks Action Plea Minister Wants to Raise Awareness of Disease Which Claimed 146 Scots

Posted on: Wednesday, 7 September 2005, 15:00 CDT

THE number of people dying of skin cancer in Scotland has risen sharply.

The latest figures from the Scottish Executive show 146 people died from the disease last year - 93 men and 53 women.

The number of male fatalities rose by 31-per cent between 1994 and 2004. There was no comparative figure for female deaths.

Male skin cancer is now the fastest growing cancer, after a 45- per cent jump in diagnosed cases in a decade, compared to a 21-per cent rise in cases among women.

Despite the rise in male cases, more women get skin cancer, with 423 women developing a malignant melanoma of the skin in 2002, compared with 342 men.

Health Minister Andy Kerr said he was disappointed with the rise and said more cash needed to be invested in raising awareness of the dangers of the sun.

He said: "We know sun exposure is a major risk factor for skin cancers including malignant melanoma, even with Scotland's climate.

"Awareness-raising campaigns aimed at highlighting the risk of unnecessary exposure to the sun are also being undertaken by NHS Boards."

The latest figures also show that more people are contracting other cancers but fewer are dying, thanks to treatment. In 2002, the last year for which figures are available, breast cancer was up by 8- per cent, with 3700 new cases, but deaths from the disease fell by 18-per cent in the last decade.

Prostate cancer rates went upby 20-per cent, with 2375 new cases, but mortality fell by 8-per cent.

Lung cancer dropped among men, with fewer new cases and fewer deaths, while colorectal cancer cases increased but the number of deaths fell.

Mr Kerr said: "Cancer treatment in Scotland is as good as anywhere in the world, with new drugs and state-of-the-art radiotherapy equipment in all of our cancer centres.

"We have not seen the same decrease in lung cancer rates for women.

"This is largely due to the greater reduction in smoking among men compared to women over the past 30 years.

"Scotland will be the first part of the UK to become completely smoke-free in all enclosed public places from March 26, 2006.

"Our country's health and productivity will improve and the incidence of smokingrelated diseases will fall."

stewart. paterson@ eveningtimes. co. uk CASESTUDY NICOLA SHAW, right, was only 23 when she died from skin cancer.

Her family were devastated, but her mum Alison Craig, pictured far right, was determined stop other youngsters dying from the same illness.

In 2001 she set up the Shaw Melanoma Charitable Trust, which raises cash to fund research.

Alison, of Prestwick, said: "A lot of people think melanomas are just a raised lump which can be cut out and don't realise they can kill.

"People need to be educated. We need much harder-hitting campaigns.

"I was invited to a health day at a school, but hardly any of the pupils came up to me.

"The word cancer scared them away, but they should be scared."

Alison says parents have to be taught of the dangers of the sun.

She said: "People go abroad with children and they later develop skin cancer.

"We thought we were careful with Nicola.

"Maybe we weren't careful enough."

Source: Evening Times; Glasgow (UK)

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