Men spurn skin safety in spite of cancer risk

The poll of 2,000 people commissioned by Cancer Research UK found 90 per cent said they had suffered sunburn.

But only 47 per cent of men used at least factor 15 sunscreen, compared to two thirds of women.

Men were also less likely than women to protect their skin in other ways – like spending time in the shade or covering up with clothing.

Every year around 400 men from Yorkshire are diagnosed with malignant melanoma and around 490 women.

The survey showed one in five Britons often did not plan for the weather and got caught without protection if it was sunny. More than a fifth wanted to be tanned.

David Denton, 34, who lives near Halifax, was diagnosed in February 2009 with malignant melanoma on his face after his dentist persuaded him to get a strange-looking mole checked out.

“I never really thought about the possibility of getting skin cancer even though I’m fair skinned and burn easily – and I think many men are the same,” he said.

“I’m not a sun worshipper, but as a construction site worker I spend about 40 per cent of my working life outdoors.

“The company I worked for said we had to wear T shirts and long trousers to help protect our skin, but it was still easy to get caught out and forget the strength of the sun sometimes.”

He had surgery to remove the melanoma from the side of his face leaving him with a large scar and stretched skin which he said looks “as if he’s been glassed”.

“Whatever they might think, men don’t look like wimps if they use sun protection and they certainly don’t look good resembling a boiled lobster,” he said.

“I am definitely more aware of protecting my skin from sunburn now and always remind my mates to put on sunscreen, stick a cap on and keep an eye on their skin.

“I’m lucky that my melanoma was spotted early but the disease can be deadly.”

Caroline Cerny, Cancer Research UK’s SunSmart campaign manager, said: “These results indicate that men seem to be worse than women at protecting their skin in the sun.

“Traditionally it’s been women who want to sport a suntan but this survey suggests men crave this look as well but are forgetting to protect their skin.

“Sunburn is a sign that the DNA in your skin has been damaged and people know that getting sunburn can increase the risk of skin cancer but many don’t bother to protect their skin from burning.”

Over the last 25 years in Britain, rates of malignant melanoma – the most serious form of skin cancer – have risen faster than any of the most common cancers in men and women.

Despite more women being diagnosed with melanoma, more men die from the disease.

Public Health Minister Anne Milton said: “These findings clearly show the importance of men, and women, protecting their skin from sun damage.”

Sara Hiom, director of health information at Cancer Research UK, said: “Your skin doesn’t have to be red-raw, peeling or blistering to have sunburn damage. If your skin has gone red in the sun, it’s sunburnt.

“We all need sunshine for good general health but many cases of melanoma could be prevented if people took more care in the sun. A good way of doing this is to get to know your skin and avoid it going red.

“The British weather causes a dilemma because we don’t tend to get many sunny summer days, so when it does shine people tend to overdo it, not realising you can burn even when it’s cool or slightly cloudy. Whether at home or abroad, people should think how to use shade, clothing and sunscreen, applied generously and regularly, to protect themselves.”

Heart patients denied drugs

Large numbers of heart patients around the world are being denied cheap drug treatments that could save their lives, it is claimed.

Around 60 per cent of individuals with heart disease and up to half of those who have suffered a stroke may not be taking any of four effective drug types, a PURE study found.

In low income countries some 80 per cent of patients were not getting any of the drugs, according to the research.

The study assessed the use of four key drugs in 17 high, middle and low-income countries.

In total 153,996 adults from 628 rural and urban communities across five continents took part in the research.

The research is published in an online edition of The Lancet medical journal.