skin cancer

The number of people admitted to hospital for skin cancer treatment in England rose by nearly a third in five years, official figures show. In 2007 there were 87,685 admissions, while in 2011 there were 123,808. The data, gathered by researchers at Public Health England, does not include treatment in outpatient units or by GPs. Experts say cheap foreign holidays and the fashion for having tanned skin are probably to blame for the increase. The majority of the cancers treated were on the head and neck. While skin cancers can be serious, they are also largely avoidable as excess sun exposure is the major cause. The figures, which will be presented at the World Congress On Cancers Of The Skin, in Edinburgh later this week, [More…]