Riskiest skin cancer cases hit UK record high, new figures show

Cancer Research UK and the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) jointly released their annual cancer statistics on Wednesday, showing that the riskiest skin cancer cases — chief among them melanoma — reached a historic record in 2025. New cases topped 23,000, 43 per cent above the average of the previous decade.

The detailed dataset highlights that melanoma cases are rising fastest in the 16-24 and over-65 age groups. Annual cases in the 16-24 group are around 1,200, up 22 per cent in five years. Among the over-65s, cases reached 11,500, with lifetime sun exposure as the shared driver. In the younger group, researchers point to sunbed use and holiday sun exposure as the main accelerators.

A 2018 Lancet meta-analysis on melanoma found that women who used sunbeds before age 35 carried a 75 per cent higher risk of melanoma. That study underpinned the UK's existing under-18 ban on sunbed use. The new Cancer Research UK report data suggests that ban has not done enough to reduce sunbed use among younger people; adult-age users have risen 18 per cent over the past five years.

British Association of Dermatologists (BAD) president Professor Mahbub Chowdhury told BBC News: "23,000 annual cases is a very serious health crisis. The NHS spends GBP 380 million a year on melanoma treatment — three times what we invest in prevention. That balance is unsustainable." Chowdhury noted that melanoma treatment costs are growing 12 per cent a year, while the prevention budget has remained flat for three years.

Government response. A Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) spokesperson called the figures "concerning" and announced a national skin cancer awareness campaign for the autumn. The campaign budget is set at GBP 12 million. A pilot for a comprehensive melanoma screening programme will launch in Liverpool and Manchester in January 2027.

For international comparison, Australia's "Slip-Slop-Slap" awareness campaign has run since 1981; in its wake, young-age melanoma cases in Australia have dropped 30 per cent. New Zealand and South Africa run similar campaigns. In the United States, prevention programmes by the Skin Cancer Foundation are applied at state level rather than federally; California and Florida are the strongest performers. Türkiye's Ministry of Health launched a skin cancer screening programme in 2018 and has lifted annual case identification by 23 per cent over the last five years.

Dermatology perspective. UK Oncology Dermatologists Association general secretary Dr Sarah Walsh told the press conference: "A large share of patients cannot self-screen; that lowers early detection rates." Walsh emphasised that 22 per cent of new cases are diagnosed only at Stage 3 or 4, which seriously reduces survival odds. General practitioners (GPs) need formal skin screening training; currently GP dermatology training is insufficient.

Prevention guidance. Cancer Research UK's press release lists the following tips: (1) avoid direct sun exposure from 11:00 to 15:00; (2) use SPF30+ sunscreen, reapplied every two hours; (3) wear UV-protective sunglasses; (4) no sunbed use under age 5; (5) annual skin self-checks for everyone over 30. These core messages will form the centre of the autumn campaign.

Skin cancer statistics in Türkiye. According to the Ministry of Health's 2024 annual report, Türkiye records around 3,800 melanoma cases annually; that number is up 35 per cent since 2014. The annual rate in the Mediterranean and Aegean regions is similar to the UK's age-adjusted rate. The Turkish Dermatology Association proposed sunbed advertising regulation over the past three years; the Ministry of Health's response came in 2025, when it applied advertising restrictions equivalent to those for tobacco products.

Why it matters. Skin cancer is, in epidemiological terms, a preventable disease. With 23,000 annual cases — the national curve on global terms — public health policy is being given a warning signal. The new data call for urgent intervention at both individual behaviour (prevention practices) and societal regulation (sunbed industry, campaigns) levels. The NHS, dermatology wait times, and the rebalancing of the prevention budget will be on the agenda at the upcoming budget round.

For any health decisions related to dermatology, please consult a qualified medical professional; this article does not substitute for medical advice.