Statistics reveal more men dying from skin cancer

According to researchers, over the past three decades the death rate has doubled in men aged over 65 years.

Yet the disease can be prevented if people avoid sunburn and deal with 'worrying' moles early.

Caroline Cerny, Cancer Research UK's SunSmart manager, said, "These figures show that a worryingly high number of men are dying unnecessarily from malignant melanoma because of the rapidly rising numbers diagnosed with the disease."

Statistics released in April
The data reveals that despite more women being diagnosed with skin cancer, more men die from the disease. Death rate among women is up but at a slower pace.

The statistics state that since the late 1970s, the fatalities in all ages of the fairer sex have risen from 1.5 per 100,000 to 2.2 per 100,000.

What is cause for concern is that rate of the preventable disease has soared since the 70s when less than 400 (1.5 per 100,000) men fell prey to melanoma.

In contrast, that figure has now risen to over 1,100 (3.1 per 100,000) each year.

The death rates among men have soared from 4.5 per 100,000 to 15.2 per 100,000 among those who went on vacation in the 1970s.

Some recommendations by experts
The increase in male deaths is attributed to men putting off their visit to the physician. Despite noticing skin changes they display indifference towards the worrying symptoms.

According to experts, men need to take a more care of their skin, as many leave it up to their mothers or others to remind them about applying sun cream.

They advise men to wear sunscreen that blocks both UV-A and UV-B for maximum protection.

Although the key is to remain in the shade, if sun exposure is unavoidable, they recommend wearing clothes made from tight-woven fabric so the sun's rays cannot penetrate through to the skin.

Also, it is important to wear hats when outdoors and to get any unusual looking moles checked by the doctors.

Care Services Minister, Paul Burstow said, "The rise in skin cancer deaths among men is worrying and highlights how important it is for everyone to protect themselves from overexposure to sun. Seeing many people with sunburn from the recent sunny weather is a reminder of how easy it is to damage your skin.

"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. Always see your GP as soon as possible if you have concerns. When skin cancer is caught early treatment is more likely to be successful, and fast action could stop the significant rise we've seen in the number of deaths."