THE number of people diagnosed each year with the deadliest form of skin cancer has topped 10,000.
Binge tanning at home and abroad has contributed to the rise in people developing malignant melanoma, according to Cancer Research UK.
The number of cases rose by more than 650 in one year, taking the total to 10,410 in 2006 – the most recent figure available.
Experts from the charity predict this number will rise to more than 15,500 by 2024, making malignant melanoma the fourth most common cancer among men and women.
Rates of the deadly cancer have more than quadrupled over the last 30 years, from 3.4 cases per 100,000 people in 1977 to 14.7 per 100,000 in 2006.
Women are more likely to be diagnosed than men – 5,600 are diagnosed each year.
