Male skin cancer deaths rise

Death rates among men suffering from the most deadly form of skin cancer have doubled in the last 30 years, figures showed today.

Too many men leave it up to their partners or mothers to remind them to use sunscreen, according to Cancer Research UK. Incidence rates of malignant melanoma have risen dramatically among both sexes since the 1970s.

But more men die from the disease, with new figures out today revealing by how much.

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In the late 1970s, fewer than 400 (1.5 per 100,000) men died from the disease but that figure is now more than 1,100 (3.1 per 100,000).

Among the over-65s, death rates among men have risen from 4.5 per 100,000 to 15.2 per 100,000 in the same period.

Meanwhile, death rates for women of all ages have risen more slowly from 1.5 per 100,000 to 2.2 per 100,000.

Data released in April showed people in their 60s and 70s are around five times more likely to be diagnosed with malignant melanoma than their parents were 30 years ago.

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Many older people now experiencing skin cancer would have been enjoying cheap package holidays in the 1970s.

The Government's care services minister, Paul Burstow, said: "We should all keep a careful eye on our skin.

"Shrugging off any changes in a mole's appearance could put your life at risk."