In the UK, over 1,800 people die from melanoma each year; that's equivalent to five people every day. Being resistant to radiotherapy and chemotherapy, melanoma is the most difficult cancer to treat, and prevention remains a public health priority in reducing its incidence.

The challenge

The incidence of skin cancer, linked to ultraviolet light in sunlight, continues to rise. In the UK population, melanoma has quadrupled since 1975. There are more than 67,000 new cases of skin cancer every year in the UK alone and the figures are rising faster than for any other form of cancer. Non-melanoma skin cancer is the most common cancer in the UK, and melanoma is one of the few cancers to affect young adults; it's the second most common cancer among young people aged between 15 and 34 years*.

Our work

Research by RAFT's Skin Cancer Research Group led by Dr Rachel Haywood aims to identify how exposure to different parts of sunlight, specifically UVA and visible light, are involved in triggering the damage which can lead later to skin cancer. Sunlight is strongly linked to skin cancer. Energetic ultraviolet rays  (UVA and UVB) enter the skin and trigger chemical reactions. These reactions produce highly energetic particles called free radicals. Left unchecked, these can react with the genetic material, DNA, in skin cells either killing the cell or causing damage that leads to the runaway cell replication that is characteristic of cancer. The research is part supported by Cancer Research UK (CRUK), is enabling the team to investigate how UVA causes DNA damage to the cell from which melanoma originates, the melanocyte.

UVA damage is a problem amongst sunbed users. Sunbeds emit predominantly UVA, and some machines have the capacity to emit very high levels of radiation, many times stronger than the midday sun in most countries. "In a largely unregulated industry, where training of staff is not mandatory, this increases the health risks considerably" (World Health Organisation). Using sunbeds before the age of 35 increases your risk of developing melanoma skin cancer by up to 75%*. RAFT scientists are also looking at how different skin types respond to UVA and visible light exposure. RAFT's research has found that Afro-Caribbean people (with a lower incidence of skin cancer) are more protected against this damage than Caucasian skin types. Further research will reveal whether some people are more susceptible to skin cancer, and whether these people can take preventative action.

Case study

What motivates and inspires you in the world of science generally and within RAFT?

The greatest inspiration I receive as a research scientist from a personal point of view is when I'm presented with some truly novel and important breakthroughs with regards answering key questions in science. These questions that the biomedical research community set out to answer aim to tackle major diseases such as skin cancer. Results from months or even years of experimental work from myself or colleagues can reveal how hard work, logical thinking, perseverance and sometimes also luck can produce those key insights to the workings of molecules in cells and how they determine the characteristics and outcomes of skin cancer cells. This may enable future development into the treatment of skin cancers such as melanoma. In addition, this can lead to publication of this work, wide international coverage of these novel findings and further increased progression of research in this field.

Dr Nick Kassouf– Post Doctoral Research Scientist

Stavros Niarchos Foundation
Our grateful thanks go to Stavros Niarchos Foundation for funding part of this exciting work.