Are you at risk?
The sun, skin colour and freckling
People who are very fair skinned, with red or fair hair and those who burn easily in the sun, are more at risk of developing melanoma and other skin cancers. Those with darker skins have more natural protection but can still get the disease. Although rare in the UK black people can get melanoma, most commonly on the soles of the feet or palms of the hands. Worldwide, one in five cases of melanoma is diagnosed in a black African or Asian person.
Family history of Melanoma
If you have a close relative who has had melanoma, you are more at risk yourself. Around 5% of melanoma patients in the UK report a family history. This is probably because we tend to share the same sort of colouring and skin type as our close relatives. But nevertheless, even if you are darker in colouring, you should be more careful about the sun.
Some families tend to have large numbers of moles (most people have about 10 to 40 moles), or moles that are unusual (doctors call them “atypical”). The “atypical” moles tend to be an irregular shape or colour and occasionally can become malignant, people with moles like this have a higher than average risk of melanoma and it is important that these people examine their moles on a monthly basis so that they know them and can spot a change. The highest risk factor known for melanoma is to have a very close relative (parent or brother or sister) with melanoma and to have abnormal looking moles yourself. People who have a dysplastic naevus and who have two or more first-degree relatives with melanoma may be at 100 times the risk of developing melanoma. It is essential that those at high risk are vigilant in protecting their skin form the effects of the sun.
See Sun Protection
Scientists think that around 1 in 10 cases of melanoma may be linked to inherited faulty genes. Two of these genes have been identified and Cancer Research UK researchers are very close to identifying a third. For the small number of families who carry these genes, sun protection is eve more important.
For information on what to look out for, go to Early Detection
