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Doctor examining mole via Shutterstock

Rates of certain types of skin cancer have increased since 2002

The National Cancer Registry Ireland said that an average of 6,899 cases of invasive skin cancer were diagnosed each year in Ireland between 1994 and 2011.

THERE WERE ALMOST 7,000 cases of skin cancer diagnosed in Ireland each year between 1994 and 2011, and the rate of certain subtypes has increased since 2002.

According to the National Cancer Registry Ireland’s latest cancer trends publication on non-melanoma skin cancer, malignant melanoma accounted for just over 8 per cent of the cases of invasive skin cancer diagnosed during that period.

Types of skin cancer

Out of the non-melanoma skin cancers, 68 per cent were basal (BCC) and 30 per cent were squamous cell carcinomas (SCC).

Males had a higher incidence rate for both BCC and SCC than females, but males were more likely than females to have SCC and the BCC/SCC ratio in males was much lower than in females.

This may be because men are are more likely to have outdoor occupations, and so have more long-term chronic sun exposure than females.

The majority of all tumours in both sexes were located on the face, but men were more likely to have SCC tumours on the scalp, neck and upper limbs.

Non melanoma skin cancer is more common in older people – the majority of patients were aged 60 or older when diagnosed.

Males and females

Rates of both subtypes of skin cancer in females and males have increased since the early 2000s, being 33 per cent and 39 per cent higher in 2011 than in 2002.

According to the NCR:

From the mid 1990’s to early 2000’s there was little overall change in incidence rate for NMSC, with rates in females remaining fairly level and a slight decline in males. However rates of both subtypes have subsequently increased, and for both sexes current rates (2011) are between 33 per cent and 39 per cent higher than those in 2002. An annual percentage change of between 3 per cent and 4 per cent has been recorded during the last 10 years.

There are very few deaths from non-melanoma skin cancer. Incidence rates for BCC were higher than the national average for both males and females in the HSE areas around Dublin, and lowest in the HSE West for both sexes.

The rates in the HSE south were closest to the national average.

The incidence of both BCC and SCC was significantly higher in urban than in rural populations overall – particularly with BCC. Both males and females in the most affluent urban areas have statistically significantly higher incidence than those in the most deprived areas.

The incidence of SCC was highest in the most affluent areas and significantly lower in the most deprived regions.

Read: New campaign demands long-awaited law to ban teenagers from sunbeds>

Read: Irish men more likely to get cancer and die from it than women>

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9 Comments
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    Mute John Murphy
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    Sep 6th 2013, 1:04 PM

    Melanoma may be only 8% of all skin cancers, but it accounts for about 90% of all skin cancer deaths.
    Sun beds get one used to spending time in confined spaces, like MRI cigar tubes for brain scans, and coffins. I am in a human trial, in Boston, for my Stage IV melanoma. Chemo does not work on melanoma, and you can’t have your lungs radiated as it would turn them to scar tissue, so it looked like the Reaper had me. Now there is hope however, in tumor targeting where the meds smother the mutant part of the DNA that causes most melanoma, called BRAF.

    It has been grand, coming back to life, and helping others find hope. Don’t accept death as a prognosis unless you have tried a human trial with experimental drugs. Learn more at http://www.sto-online.org and go to patient perspectives. All cancers start in the DNA, they just discovered the common mutant gene in melanoma first, as most of us are identical twins in this small snippet of DNA called BRAF. Help is on the way no matter what cancer you have, fight for your life and demand a trial if the oncologist says, “There is no hope.”

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    Mute Bryan McCoy
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    Sep 6th 2013, 11:08 AM

    Fake tan ladies. Ban sun beds for a start

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    Mute Cuddle Flips
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    Sep 7th 2013, 2:53 AM

    The last vestiges of natural selection should be maintained.

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    Mute Kelly Whelan
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    Sep 6th 2013, 12:16 PM

    not just the ladies that use Sunbeds!! but its not just sunbeds that do it either. i have had my own experience of malignant melanoma & everyone’s comment was “were u on the sunbeds Kelly” never used them in my life. its genetics.

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    Mute kelly whelan
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    Sep 6th 2013, 9:21 PM

    I wish you the best of luck John with your treatment.

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    Mute John Murphy
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    Sep 7th 2013, 1:44 AM

    Well thank you Kelly. The first opinion was a few months at most, and believe me I thought it to be right as I felt the life in me leaving. My brother Martin has three post-doctorates in investigational oncology, and knew of this human trial in Boston, and I was accepted once they found I had the right genome. You don’t lose your hair or even feel sick very often. I am closing in on 3 years undead. Your kind thought swells my chest. Hope gives strength, and strength gives hope. We need them both, but having kind people share a good thought for us is a tonic also.

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    Mute kelly whelan
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    Sep 8th 2013, 9:51 PM

    You were given a 2nd chance for a reason & I’m a firm believer in being optimistic. My other half always says I’m forever the optimist, but its better than thinking the worst. Thankfully mine was caught in early stages between in situ & stage 1 but nonetheless a terrifying & devestating experience for me & my family. Your very lucky to be in a trial and please god all results will be positive going forward for u & your family. :-)

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    Mute Marguerite Hoiby
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    Sep 6th 2013, 4:33 PM

    Watch the rates sore (pun intended) after all the sun burnt bodies this summer. Celtic skin and sun do not mix very well.

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    Mute New Property
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    Sep 6th 2013, 6:28 PM

    Sunscreen is the problem, it not cancer proof it just stops you getting burnt. Think before u bask in the sun all day.

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