As the summer approaches, nurses from the Dermatology Department at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital will be at Chapelfield to give advice to the public on Wednesday 2nd May from 9am to 6pm. The event is designed to raise awareness of skin cancer and how to stay safe in the sun.

Sara Wilkinson, Macmillan Skin Cancer Specialist Nurse at NNUH, said: “In Norfolk, we have a population which may have spent many years working outdoors in agriculture and can be at risk of skin cancer. There is also increasing use of sun beds amongst young people.

“We can give advice on the risk factors for skin cancer and how to prevent it, although we are not able to offer mole checks at this event.”

On average, the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital diagnoses and manages 180 patients per annum with melanomas and this figure is increasing year on year. In 2010, 300 patients were treated for squamous cell carcinoma and 3000 patients for basal cell carcinoma.

Chapelfield’s general manager Davina Tanner said: "The health awareness events have been really popular at Chapelfield, with the nurses passing on free advice and information to hundreds of shoppers on a variety of issues. With the Summer months coming up, everyone should be aware of protecting their skin from Sun damage."

This is the sixth event in the series of health promotional events being run in partnership between Chapelfield and the NNUH, to bring health information and advice to local people. Over the next few months, there will be other health events at Chapelfield covering dementia, arthritis, diabetes and a new national screening programme for abdominal aortic aneurysms.

Skin cancer facts

There two types of skin cancer melanoma and non melanoma skin cancers (BCC basal cell carcinoma, SCC squamous cell carcinoma). Most melanomas are curable if caught early.

In 2008 in the UK, 11,767 new cases of malignant melanoma were diagnosed and more than 98,800 non-melanoma skin cancers were registered.

In 2009 in the UK, 2,633 people in the UK died from skin cancer. Around 2,081 from malignant melanoma and 552 from non-melanoma skin cancer. (Cancer Research UK)