The boom of cheap package holidays in the 1960s has been linked to a rise in a serious type of skin cancer among older adults, a charity has suggested. Cancer Research UK said that melanoma skin cancer diagnoses across all age groups have reached a record high – with 17,500 people diagnosed each year in the UK.
The charity pointed to a particular rise in cases among adults aged 55 and over. Case rates among this age group have risen by 195% since the 1990s – between 1993 and 1995 21.3 people aged 55 and over were diagnosed with melanoma out of every 100,000, this rose to 62.9 cases per 100,000 in 2017-2019.
“The rise in rates in over-55s is likely to be linked to trends to have tanned skin and the cheap package holiday boom dating from the 1960s before people became more aware of skin cancer,” the charity said. Other factors could also be at play, including a growing and ageing population as well as more people getting their skin checked when they notice changes.
