Experts have again issued warnings during the heatwave to reinforce the dangers of too much exposure to the sun. It follows similar advice from the Dragons' Den star Deborah Meaden who recently spoke out about the potential signs of skin cancer. She was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma in 2015.
Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is the second most common form of skin cancer, characterised by abnormal growth of squamous cells, according to the Skin Cancer Foundation. Every year in the UK, around 147,000 new cases of non-melanoma skin cancer are diagnosed.
According to the NHS, it starts in the cells lining the top layer of the skin (the epidermis) and accounts for one in every five skin cancers. It is not usually life-threatening and can be easily treated if caught early. But left untreated, the resulting lesions can become deadly and spread to other parts of the body, causing serious complications.
