Teenage melanoma cases on rise

Cancer experts have called for more education for teenagers and young adults on the prevention of malignant melanoma.

Jillian Birch, an expert on teenage cancer from Manchester University, said education needs to be 'targeted appropriately' after research revealed 712 young people aged 15–24 had the potentially preventable skin cancer in 2003.

This is an increase of 3.8% per year in teenagers and young adults in England since 1999, Professor Birch told delegates last week at the International Conference on Teenage and Young Adult Cancer Medicine in London.

A similar trend is evident in cervical cancer, which has seen a 6.8% yearly increase in 15 to 19-year-olds over the same period.