The public has been urged to cover up when out in the sun as new figures show a 36 per cent rise in the number of cases of skin cancer from 1997 to 2007.
The data from the National Cancer Registry of Ireland shows a 75 per cent increase in females under 50 years presenting with malignant melanoma.
Launching its new SunSmart campaign today, the Irish Cancer Society called on people to do more to protect themselves during the summer months.
According to the statistics there 7743 new cases of skin cancer diagnosed in 2007, up from 5687 cases ten years earlier.
Of the cases confirmed in 2007, 7076 were for non-melanoma cancer, the most common type of skin cancer. In addition, 667 new cases of malignant melanoma cancer were also diagnosed.
The data shows that there has been an 84 per cent increase in the number of cases of malignant melanoma skin cancer in males and a 48 per cent increase in women over the last ten years.
The Irish Cancer Society’s 2009 SunSmart campaign is intended to raise awareness about the increasing numbers of skin cancer cases in Ireland and the importance of prevention and early detection.
The society recommends people to avoid being in the sun when UVA rays are at their strongest, wearing t-shirts, long shorts, hats and wraparound sunglasses and applying sunscreen protection before going outside.
“People may think that skin cancer happens in other countries, not in Ireland due to our climate. But 80-85 per cent of UV rays pass through clouds and Ireland has the third highest rate of malignant melanoma in the EU" said the Irish Cancer Society’s health promotion manager Norma Cronin.
