Package holidays blamed for rise in cancer rate
The popularity of the package holiday has been blamed for a five-fold increase in the most dangerous type of skin cancer in the UK over the past 40 years.
Cancer Research UK said now more than 13,000 people develop malignant melanoma each year, that’s 17 for every 100,000 compared with just three per 100,000 in the mid 1970s.
It said the increase was partly due to the rising popularity of package holidays to the Med from the late 1960s.
Sunbed use has also led to a rise in the number of cases, said the charity.
Malignant melanoma is now the fifth most common cancer, with more than 2,000 dying from it each year.
Those with the highest risk of the disease include people with pale skin, lots of moles or freckles, a history of sunburn, or a family history of the disease.
Experts advise spending time in the shade, covering up and using sunscreen with an sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 15.
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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