Skin cancer

Skin cancer is a cancer that starts as a growth of cells. These cells can invade and destroy healthy body tissue. 

Melanoma is the most common type of skin cancer found in young people. It starts in skin cells called melanocytes – these cells produce the pigment that give your skin colour. Melanoma can affect existing, or new moles. It can also develop as a new dark or unusual looking growth on the skin. It can happen on otherwise healthy-looking skin.

Skin cancer can be caused by over exposure to the UV light that comes from the sun. UV light can also be found in sunbeds. 

Melanomas most often develop in areas that have had exposure to the sun, including the arms, legs and face. They can also appear in areas that are not as exposed to the sun, for example, soles of the feet, palms of the hands and fingernail beds.

There are other types of skin cancer which are less common in young people, including basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). You can find out more about these on the NHS website or the British Association of Dermatologists website.  

Find out more about skin cancer in people of colour here. 

Anyone can get skin cancer and the risk increases with age. However, some people are more likely to be diagnosed with skin cancer than others. 

This includes people who have:

• Fair skin that burns easily
• Light coloured eyes, e.g. blue, grey or hazel
• Naturally blonde or red hair
• Numerous freckles
• Previous sunburns (especially in childhood)
• A job that involves lots of work outdoors or time in the sun 
• Outdoor hobbies
• Regular use of sunbeds 
• A history of skin cancer
• Had an organ transplant or a blood disorder such as leukaemia
• Had immunosuppressive drug therapy

You’re more likely to get skin cancer if you had radiotherapy when you were younger. This is because radiotherapy can damage skin cells and weaken the immune system.

Cancers can also develop in the area of skin that was treated with radiation. The most common type of skin cancer to develop in this situation would be basal cell carcinoma or squamous cell carcinoma. These would be more likely to develop later in life, rather than in young people.

Diagnosing skin cancer early saves lives, so it’s really important to know what to look for.

Melanoma usually (but not always) causes changes to existing moles but it can also develop as a new mole.

You should contact your GP if you have a mole that:

• gets bigger
• changes shape
• has a blurred, rough or jagged outline
• gets darker or red
• has more than one colour in it
• gets itchy or painful
• gets crusty or bleeds.

You should get in touch with your GP for an appointment when you notice any of these changes. You can find advice for going to the GP here.

There are two main tests used to find skin cancer.

A specialist might look at the area you’re worried about using a dermatoscope, which is a tool that acts as a magnifying glass. This means they can look at the area on a bigger scale and see more detail and help spot signs of skin cancer.

You might need to have a biopsy, which is when a sample of the skin is taken, usually under local anaesthetic (where a small part of your skin is numbed), and then looked at under a microscope for signs of cancer. This could be done in your GP surgery, or at a hospital.  

If you have a biopsy, you can ask your GP or the doctor at the hospital how long you should expect to wait for the results. You might also want to ask them how you’ll hear back. For example, sometimes they might contact you by phone or letter. 

You can find out more in our Getting diagnosed section.

It’s important to check your skin regularly so you know what’s normal for you.

You should check your skin for any changes once a month. You might find it useful to set a reminder in your phone to check your skin on the same date each month so you can make it part of your routine.

Taking photos can be a really useful way to monitor your skin. If you take new photos each time you check your skin, you’ll be able to keep track of any changes. You can save these in a different folder on your phone so if you do need to go to the doctor, they’re all in one place and easy to share. 

If you notice any areas that you’re concerned about and you think they’re changing shape or getting bigger then you might want to take a picture with something next to the area for scale. You could put a 5p coin next to the area in each photo and then any change in shape or size will be easier to see. If possible, it’s useful if you can measure the mole with a ruler so you can check if it’s getting bigger. This also means you can tell your GP exactly how much bigger it’s gotten. 

Some moles might look different but it doesn’t always mean they’re cancerous.

If you go to see your GP because you’re worried about one of your moles they will ask to see the mole you’re worried about. So they can understand more about why you’re concerned they might then ask some of the following questions: 

• How long have you had this mole? 
• If it’s a new mole, do you know when you first noticed it? 
• Has it changed in size, shape, colour or texture? If so, how has it changed, and how long did this change take? (E.g. it got 10mm bigger in the space of three months)
• Has it ever been itchy or started bleeding?
• Do you have any photos of the mole over time?
• Do you have any other moles that you’re worried about?  
• Are there any other changes to your body that you’ve noticed? 

You might be referred a dermatologist, this is a doctor who specialises in conditions that affect the skin. The dermatologist will assess the mole and if they’re concerned, they will arrange to have the mole removed to test for cancer cells (a biopsy).  If the mole is very large, they’ll only remove a small part of it for testing.

You can find out more about mole changes here. 

The treatment for melanoma depends on how advanced it is.

If diagnosed early sometimes the only treatment needed would be to remove the mole. Usually you’ll also have an area of skin around the mole removed to make sure they can take all of the cancer cells out. You can ask your care team if you have any questions about how much will be removed in this operation. 

More advanced melanoma might be treated using surgery and targeted therapies (where drugs are used to shrink melanoma) - like radiotherapy. Sometimes a combination of these will be used.

If the melanoma has spread from your skin to other areas of your body you might be given other treatments as well - these are sometimes called ‘adjuvent treatment’. These treatments are to try and prevent the cancer spreading further. For example, if the melanoma has spread to another area of your body you’ll be offered treatment with immunotherapy.

Immunotherapy is a type of cancer treatment that uses the body’s own immune system to fight cancer cells.

Looking after your skin now can help you avoid skin cancer in the future.

Follow these five simple steps to prevent skin damage:

• Cover up – wear long sleeves, trousers or things like sarongs on hot days.
• Use sunscreen – make sure it’s water resistant and at least factor 30
• Wear a hat or cap – whatever style you like, it can help protect you from the sun, but wide brimmed hats will also cover your ears and the back of your neck, whereas caps usually only protect your face.
• Wear sunglasses – your eyes need protection too
• Stay in the shade – especially between 11am and 3pm when the UV rays are at their strongest.

You can find out more about how to stay safe in the sun here. 

This page was updated in June 2025 and will be reviewed in June 2028.