Rates of melanoma skin cancer hit all-time high in UK, study finds

Although cases have risen substantially, improvements in early diagnosis and treatment have doubled melanoma survival times in the past 50 years. Photograph: Jeff Moore/PA

Rates of melanoma skin cancer have reached an all-time high in the UK, according to analysis that highlights a substantial rise in the number of cases over the past decade, particularly among older people.

New diagnoses increased by almost a third from 21 to 28 in every 100,000 people between 2007-09 and 2017-19, according to Cancer Research UK (CRUK) figures, with a 57% rise among the over-80s and a 7% rise in those aged 25 to 49.