Rates of melanoma skin cancer hit all-time high in UK, study

Cancer Research UK notes particular rise in diagnoses among older people and says majority of cases are preventable

Rates of melanoma skin cancer have reached an all-time high in the UK, according to analysis that highlights a substantial rise in the number of cases over the past decade, particularly among older people.

New diagnoses increased by almost a third from 21 to 28 in every 100,000 people between 2007-09 and 2017-19, according to Cancer Research UK (CRUK) figures, with a 57% rise among the over-80s and a 7% rise in those aged 25 to 49.