Irish women in top 10 most at-risk groups for skin cancer in the world

The alarming revelation came as it emerged that Ireland is also ranked sixth overall in the world for non-melanoma skin cancers – fifth highest for men and sixth highest for women.

World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) data showed that Ireland, despite decades of health campaigns about the dangers of sun overexposure and the need to use skin protection when outdoors, now suffers from a worryingly high rate of skin cancers.

Melanoma is one of the world’s most feared cancers.

While readily treatable when caught in its early stages, if allowed to spread to other parts of the body melanoma can become a highly aggressive form of cancer.

More than 1,200 people are diagnosed with melanoma skin cancer in Ireland each year. The fresh data reveals how Irish women rank 10th in the world for melanoma detection – at 20.3 incidents per 100,000 people.

Danish women have the world’s highest rate of melanoma detection at 33.6, with Australia, New Zealand, Germany, Norway, the Netherlands, Sweden, Belgium and Switzerland also in the top 10.

Studies are under way to determine whether such high rates are linked to a failure to use proper skin protection when on sun holidays.

In terms of non-melanoma skin cancers, Ireland ranks fifth highest in the world for men and sixth highest in the world for women.

Irish men are ranked at 64 cases per 100,000 – behind Australia at 169, New Zealand at 148, the United States at 92 and Canada at 76.

However, Ireland’s rating is considered quite high given that men in Australia, New Zealand, the US and Canada face far greater geographical summer sun challenges.

Irish women ranked sixth highest in the world for non-melanoma skin cancers at a rate of 30.2 per 100,000.

The highest in the world was for Australian women at 111.5.

Irish farming and construction industry groups maintain a special health awareness campaign focused on the threat posed by skin cancer.

Central Statistics Office figures indicated that one-in-four skin-cancer related deaths in Ireland occurred in people connected to farming, construction, fishing and outdoor work.

It indicated that prolonged exposure to sunlight and UV radiation – often without adequate protection – is a major factor.

Four people die on average each week because of skin cancer.

The number of melanoma cases in Ireland has increased by more than 300pc since 1995, according to the Irish Cancer Society.

In 2014, Ireland broke the 1,000 mark for the first time in terms of the number of new melanoma detections in a single year. That figure soared to 1,138 by 2016. In 2019, it was just under 1,100 – with slightly more women diagnosed than men.

Health campaigners warned that unless Irish people radically alter their precautions to sun exposure, the rate of the disease is likely to double by 2040.