Home | A-Z | About us | News | Jobs | Travel & maps | Search | Contact | Calendar

News & events

Skin cancer nurses say 'keep safe in the sun'

Skin cancer nurse specialists at Addenbrooke's Hospital are taking part in national Sun Awareness Week this week (23-27 May), urging people to keep safe in the sun and to be aware of the dangers of skin cancer. Skin cancer is now the UK's most common cancer in both men and women. In Cambridgeshire last year 2,050 skin cancers were treated at Addenbrooke's Hospital. Of these, 262 were malignant melanomas.

From left to right: Anthony Sullivan, Macmillan Skin Cancer Nurse Specialist, Dr Mary Archer, Chairman and Sue Bailey, Macmillan Skin Cancer Nurse Specialist with Penny Eames, Service Improvement Facilitator, Resource for Change, who helped get the 'sun smart' message across

Anthony Sullivan and Sue Bailey, both Macmillan skin cancer nurse specialists at Addenbrooke's Hospital, manned a display in the hospital's concourse on Tuesday 24 May to talk about sun awareness. At the launch Dr Mary Archer, Addenbrooke's Chairman, introduced Melanie the Mole, a sun awareness mascot, and visitors received some free sun screen provided by Lloyds Pharmacy.

Anthony Sullivan is 'on loan' from the Newcastle Melanoma Unit, north of Sydney, Australia, and has a great deal of experience with skin cancer. Speaking about the disease, he said: "Skin cancer is a growing problem and we want people to take care. In the last ten years the rate of skin cancer has risen faster than any other cancer in the UK. If we don't change our attitudes to tanning and sun awareness, I fear our rates of skin cancer will just keep on increasing causing more harm to the public. Macmillan skin cancer nurses are ideally placed to provide health promotion messages to the general public. By following simple guidelines we can still enjoy the summer and help to stamp out sunburn."

Sun Awareness guidelines include:

- avoiding direct sun between 11am and 3pm
- slipping on a broad-brimmed hat, long-sleeved shirt and sunglasses
- applying sun cream with a sun protection factor of at least 15+ which has superior UVA protection
- looking after young children and making sure they (or yourself) never burn

If anyone is concerned about skin cancer or has a mole they believe is suspicious they should visit their GP to get it checked out. For more information on cancer in general, please call the Macmillan Cancer Relief's freephone number on 0808 808 2020.

May 2005

For further press/media information contact: PR & Communications Department, Box 53, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 2QQ; Tel: 01223 274 433; Fax: 01223 257 143; Minicom: 01223 274 604.