Woman who had skin cancer warns of sunbed danger
She said she used oil for sunbathing, adding: "I didn't use high-factor sunscreen or cover up when I was out." In 2022, her partner noticed a white patch on her face.She said: "I thought it was just pigmentation, because it didn't look like a mole or what I took to be the usual signs of skin cancer. "Even the GP thought it was pigmentation. "But I wasn't happy because it just didn't look right so I pushed for some tests."A biopsy revealed she had basal cell carcinoma, the most common form of skin cancer which develops from cells found in the deepest part of the outer layer of the skin.For most people, this type of cancer does not spread.It can be removed by surgery and no further treatment is required. However, Ms Verrall's carcinoma needed a deep and lengthy incision to remove all traces of it.
Around 3,100 people are diagnosed with skin cancer every year in the south-east of England, according to Cancer Research UK.Ms Verrall, who runs an industrial door company, said she is now passionate about urging people to look after their skin."What I went through was traumatising and I don't want other people to experience that," she said.Beth Vincent, Cancer Research UK health information manager, said: "Getting sunburnt just once every two years can triple the risk of developing skin cancer, compared to never being burnt. "Even on a cloudy day, the sun can be strong enough to burn between mid-March and mid-October."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
7 minutes ago
- The Independent
Imported dogs could carry disease or behaviour risk, RSPCA warns
An animal charity has called for stricter regulations on animal rescues importing dogs into the UK, citing concerns about disease risks and behavioural issues Government statistics reveal that in 2023, 320,000 pets were brought into the UK under travel pet schemes and 44,000 entered as commercial imports. RSPCA spokesman David Bowles likened the process to ' Deliveroo for dogs' and called on the Government to tighten regulations on animal rescues. He told the BBC: 'The RSPCA's major concern is these dogs are essentially ticking time bombs – coming over, not being health tested. 'Diseases are now coming in through these dogs. They're affecting not just the dogs that are being imported, they could also affect the dogs already in this country and their owners. 'They've almost set up a Deliveroo for dogs and that is a real problem.' There is no requirement for rescue organisations to be licensed in England, Wales or Northern Ireland. It comes weeks after a bill that aims to stop animal smuggling and cruelty cleared the Commons with cross-party support. Legislation put forward by Liberal Democrat MP Dr Danny Chambers will reduce the number of animals for non-commercial entry into the UK, ban the import of puppies and kittens under six months old or heavily pregnant dogs and cats, and introduce a halt on the import of dogs and cats who have been 'mutilated', including having their ears docked. The MP for Winchester's Animal Welfare (Import of Dogs, Cats and Ferrets) Bill was supported by the Government, and will now proceed to the House of Lords on its passage to becoming law. Dr Chambers said: 'As a vet, I've seen the devastating consequences of puppy smuggling. It's unimaginably cruel to separate puppies and kittens from their mothers at a very young age, and then bring them across borders in substandard conditions where they're then sold for maximum profit by unscrupulous traders who prioritise profit over welfare.' He added: 'Careful consideration has been given to setting these limits, balancing the need to disrupt illegal trade with minimising impact on genuine pet owners. To underpin this, only an owner, not an authorised person, will be permitted to sign and declare that the movement of a dog or cat is non-commercial. He criticised the influence of social media on the increased demand for dogs with docked ears, and a party colleague hit out at the platforms' role in publishing animal abuse. He said: 'One reason that there is such an interest in dogs with cropped ears is that a lot of influencers on Instagram and other social media platforms pose with these dogs or show they have these new dogs with cropped ears. Many people aren't aware that this is a mutilation. 'They think it's how the dogs' ears normally look, and it drives a demand for dogs that look like this.'
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
The first time I tried weight-loss jabs, I made a huge mistake. I got it right in the end - this is what you MUST know about keeping the pounds off with Mounjaro
On paper, I was a success story. In just four months, I'd lost nearly two stone thanks to weight-loss injections, dropping from 72kg (11st 5lb) to 60kg (9st 6lb). But the scales didn't tell the whole truth. I was exhausted, weak and terrified that I would regain every ounce. Looking in the mirror didn't deliver the feeling of triumph it should have, either. My face still looked puffy, and I was even wearing the same size 14 clothes as when I started.
Times
3 hours ago
- Times
Scientists' discovery could stop breast cancer spreading
Scottish scientists have made a discovery that could help stop breast cancer spreading to other parts of the body. Experts at Cancer Research UK Scotland Institute and the University of Glasgow have found there are key metabolic changes that take place before tumours grow elsewhere. Their work is being hailed as a significant breakthrough because it is often cancer moving from the breast that kills patients. • How I told my sons that I had a rare form of breast cancer Researchers writing in the journal EMBO Reports said identifying the metabolic changes offered a vital window to intervene. Detecting these changes early could allow therapies to stop cancer cells moving around the body and forming tumours elsewhere. Dr Cassie Clarke, lead researcher, said: 'This study represents a major shift in how we think about preventing the spread of breast cancer. By targeting these metabolic changes as early as possible we could stop the cancer progressing and save lives.' About 56,800 people are diagnosed with breast cancer in the United Kingdom each year and 11,300 people lose their lives to the disease. Dr Catherine Elliott, Cancer Research UK's director of research, said: 'Discoveries in cancer research have made huge strides in making breast cancer a far more treatable disease than ever before. • Why the way we diagnose, label and treat cancer is changing 'However, metastasis — when cancer spreads — is a major factor in breast cancer becoming harder to treat, especially if the cancer returns months or even many years later. 'This discovery gives us new hope for detecting and stopping metastasis early and ensuring people have many more years with their families and loved ones.' The study focused on how breast cancer changes the immune system so it cannot tackle cancer cells as they begin their spread. The researchers found that cancer changes the metabolism — the way cells make and use energy — of specific immune cells, resulting in them releasing a prominent metabolite called uracil. Uracil is a molecule key to essential processes in the body which was found to help distant organs build a 'scaffold' to grow secondary tumours elsewhere in the body. By blocking an enzyme called uridine phosphorylase-1 (UPP1), which produces uracil, the scientists were able to stop this scaffold forming in mice and restore the ability of the immune system to kill secondary cancer cells to prevent metastasis. This opens the door to potentially powerful new tools to tackle cancer. Detecting uracil in the blood could help spot early signs of cancer spread, while blocking UPP1 with drugs could stop the spread before it starts. • The Times View: It is time to be optimistic about cancer The research was funded by Cancer Research UK, the Wellcome Trust, the Medical Research Council, Breast Cancer Now and Pancreatic Cancer UK. Simon Vincent, chief scientific officer at Breast Cancer Now, said: 'The researchers discovered that high levels of a protein called UPP1 may make some cancers, including breast cancer, more likely to spread to other parts of the body, where the disease becomes incurable. 'In mice, targeting the UPP1 protein before secondary breast cancer developed led to fewer secondary breast tumours and a boosted immune response in the lungs. 'Now we need more research to see if this new insight can be turned into new drugs that stop secondary breast cancer, and potentially other secondary cancers, in their tracks. With around 61,000 people living with secondary breast cancer in the UK, research like this is vital.' The team are further investigating exactly how UPP1 changes the behaviour of immune cells, exploring the role of immune cell metabolism in early breast cancer initiation, and testing the ability of drugs that block immune cell metabolism to prevent cancer occurring.
