A boom in cheap holiday deals 40 years ago may be behind higher cancer rates in over 65s, researchers in the UK say.
Cancer Research UK says while age is one of the biggest risk factors for melanoma, the huge increase in pensioners being diagnosed with the disease is likely to be linked to the cheap holiday packages dating from the 1960s.
It's blamed, in part, the desirability of having a tanned appearance even at the expense of painful sunburn.
"Getting sunburnt just once every two years can triple your risk of developing malignant melanoma and even reddening of the skin is a sign of damage," the institute says.
British people over 65 are around seven times more likely to develop malignant melanoma compared to 40 years ago, the researchers say.
Sue Deans, a 69-year-old retired teacher and mother of three, was first diagnosed in 2000 with malignant melanoma after the doctor removed a mole, and re-diagnosed in 2007 after she discovered a lump under her armpit.
"I was part of the generation where package holidays became affordable and you could go abroad nearly every year," she told the researchers. "I don't think there was much understanding at the time about the impact that too much sun can have on your risk of getting skin cancer. And I loved the sun but suffered quite a bit of sunburn over the years."
Professor Richard Marais, Cancer Research UK's skin cancer expert, said: "It's worrying to see melanoma rates increasing at such a fast pace, and across all age groups. It is very important for people to take care of their skin in the sun."
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