After the endless winter, the sun has finally made an appearance, and with it rows of gently peeling pink bodies. It may be a British tradition to shrug off our clothes the minute we feel a few rays, but after years of warnings about skin cancer, shouldn't we have learned our lesson?
Cancer Research certainly thinks so. They point out that skin cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer in the world, with two types – the more common but less serious non melanoma (which in 2010 was diagnosed in 100,000 people in the UK, and killed 546), and the less common but more serious malignant melanoma (which in 2010 was found in 12,818 people in the UK, and caused 2,203 deaths).
So why aren't we paying attention? Librarian Antonio Hernandez from south London, who was sunbathing outside the British Museum today, said he was planning to spend his lunchtime and an afternoon break getting a tan. Originally from Spain, he said his olive complexion meant he wasn't thinking about skin cancer, but was using a factor 10 sunscreen. "I don't worry about burning in the UK because I don't think the sun is strong enough, but I always use factor 20 on my face."
Jess Harris from Cancer Research says this is a common and dangerous misconception. "It's very easy to get caught out, especially in the UK when the sun has been hiding for months and months. And as soon as it does come out it's understandable that people want to make the most of it. But people often get burned when the sun is intermittent, and we would advise people to use at least a factor 15, with a high UVA rating, as well as shade and clothing to protect themselves."
Meanwhile Tammy Paul, 39, from central London was enjoying the sun with her friends Elise Murphy, Laura Alexander, Amy Baxter and their children. They say they are sensible when it comes to sun protection, slathering themselves in factor 15 and their children in factor 30 or 50. But Paul admits that she did get sunburn after spending Monday in the park, when it "did not feel hot at all".
Harris says people often assume that because a day is cloudy, they won't get burned. But burning actually depends on the strength of the sun, even behind cloud, so it is important to check the Met Office's UV forecast because even slight sunburn harms the skin. Damage can build up and cause skin cancer in later years, so people going out in the sun should use an ice-cream scoop-sized amount of sunscreen to cover themselves when wearing a swimsuit. Bill Carlin, a cancer information specialist nurse from Macmillan Cancer Support, says drivers too should be vigilant, as UVB rays can penetrate glass, causing burning and, over a long period of time, cancer.
Skin cancer has been increasing since the 1970s, and experts put this down to our dangerous obession with tanning and more frequent holidays abroad. Two out of the quartet of King's College London students I find sunbathing in a park say their parents have had skin cancer. But this has not put them off. Harriet Denis Le Seve, 20, says she is using a factor 15 tanning oil, as is her friend, 18-year-old Ellen Manors. While Jessica Smith and Emilia Etz, both 19, are using sun screen.
"I think we will be more worried about skin cancer when we are older," admits Etz, while Manors points out: "At this age we are probably more concerned about the way we look and having a tan is just easier to pull off than pale skin."
No one should face cancer alone. The Macmillan team is here to support you every step of the way. For more information or to donate visit www.macmillan.org.uk or call 0808 808 00 00.
