Melanoma Information
What is Melanoma?
Melanoma is the fifth most common cancer in the UK. There are around 16,000 cases of melanoma diagnosed each year and approximately 2,500 people die every year from the disease. More than a quarter of skin cancer cases are diagnosed in people under 50, which is unusually early compared to most other types of cancer.
Over recent years, skin cancer has become much more common in the UK.
This is thought to be the result of increased exposure to intense sunlight while on holiday abroad.
More than 2,000 people die every year in the UK from melanoma.
If melanoma isn’t diagnosed until an advanced stage, treatment is mainly used to slow the spread of the cancer and reduce symptoms. This usually involves medicines that target specific genetic changes in the melanoma, such as BRAF inhibitors, or medicines that boost the body’s immune responses to the melanoma (so-called checkpoint therapies).
Once you’ve had melanoma, there’s a chance it may return. This risk is increased if your cancer was more advanced or widespread.
