Justine with her Husband and three children taking a selfie
A Greater Manchester mum is urging people to think carefully before using sunbeds after being diagnosed with an uncommon skin tumour.
Justine, a 45-year-old mum-of-three from Bury, is sharing her story as the Government consults on strengthening the regulation of sunbeds to help protect public health and reduce the risk of skin cancer.
Justine previously had two moles removed so she was familiar with the ABCDE signs of melanoma skin cancer.
She said: “It wasn’t obviously asymmetrical or irregular, but it was getting darker, getting bigger and becoming itchy.”
Justine and her Husband taking a sunset selfie
She saw her GP who referred her to specialists at Salford Royal where they removed the mole for testing which found it to be an uncommon type of melanocytic tumour – which means it cannot be classified as either benign or malignant.
It was treated as melanoma as a precaution and she was referred to The Christie for a wider local excision to remove additional tissue around the mole.
Now recovering, Justine says the experience has changed the way she thinks about protecting herself and her family from ultraviolet (UV) radiation.
“I’ve always been careful in the sun. We became a factor 50 family once we had children, they wear UV tops and we always use sunscreen.
“But since my diagnosis I’ve become much more aware. We’re going on holiday for the first time since everything happened and I’ve packed lightweight long trousers and T-shirts rather than shorts because I’m so conscious about protecting my skin.”
While Justine never experienced sunburn growing up and did not spend long periods of time sunbathing, she believes sunbed use when she was younger may have contributed to her diagnosis.
“I used sunbeds on and off when I was in my late teens and early twenties before holidays or a night out because I wrongly thought I needed a ‘base tan’.
“I can’t help wondering whether that’s what caused this. It just isn’t worth it.
“Using a sunbed is taking a gamble with your health. What feels like a cosmetic choice now could catch up with you years later.”
Exposure to ultraviolet radiation is the main cause of skin cancer. The use of indoor tanning devices, including sunbeds, has been linked to a significantly increased risk of developing skin cancer, including melanoma – the most serious type of skin cancer – particularly when used from a young age.
Dr Stephanie Ogden, Consultant Dermatologist and Skin Cancer Clinical Lead for Greater Manchester Cancer Alliance, said: “Skin cancer is one of the most preventable cancers and reducing exposure to ultraviolet radiation is one of the most important ways people can lower their risk.
“It’s important to know what is normal for your own skin and to get any changing moles, changing growths or changing patches of skin checked as soon as possible as early diagnosis is key.
“We welcome the Government’s consultation on strengthening the regulation of sunbeds to protect public health and help reduce the number of people diagnosed with skin cancer in the future.”
The NHS encourages people to protect themselves from ultraviolet radiation by:
- spending time in the shade when the sun is strongest (typically between 11am and 3pm)
- covering up with clothing, a wide-brimmed hat and UV-protective sunglasses
- using sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 30 and a high UVA rating, reapplying it regularly.
