Woman's plea to ban sunbeds after skin cancer diagnosis returned
Gill Costelloe has told how she nearly died and had to spend three months in hospital, even though her skin cancer had been detected early.
The 45-year-old, from Ballybrack, south Co. Dublin, has spoken out through the Irish Cancer Society as calls build for Ireland to follow Australia's example and to ban the use of sunbeds. The scar left on Gill Costelloe's back after having surgery.
The Programme for Government 2025 contains a commitment to explore a ban on commercial sunbed use, with public consultation underway and a cross-departmental working group established.
The Institute of Public Health last month highlighted the significant public health risks associated with ultraviolet (UV) radiation from sunbeds, which are classified as carcinogenic by the World Health Organisation and the European Commission.
Ms Costelloe is one of 11,500 people diagnosed with skin cancer in Ireland every year, making it the country's most common cancer. The National Cancer Registry of Ireland expects the number of people diagnosed with skin cancer in Ireland to double by 2040. Gill Costelloe urges people to protect their skin.
Ms Costelloe was first diagnosed with skin cancer in 2016 after a friend noticed a mole on her back and advised her to get it checked out. It was a stage one melanoma, which was removed. Five years later, doctors discovered that she had a recurrence of melanoma that had spread.
She said: 'I used sunbeds and spent years sunbathing to get a tan to look healthy, but, ironically, I'm far from healthy now. I was an avid cyclist and never once considered the damage I was doing to my body, being out on the bike for hours on end with no sunscreen.'
Ms Costelloe recently got her first clear scan but is still living with the side effects of having skin cancer and going through treatment. She said she wanted to share her story to highlight the importance of getting moles and skin changes checked.
'People think that skin cancer isn't serious,' she added. 'Melanoma, even when it's surgically removed from the skin, can come back and spread to other parts of your body.'
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A woman who has twice been diagnosed with skin cancer has urged people to protect their skin and not to use sunbeds. Gill Costelloe has told how she nearly died and had to spend three months in hospital, even though her skin cancer had been detected early. The 45-year-old, from Ballybrack, south Co. Dublin, has spoken out through the Irish Cancer Society as calls build for Ireland to follow Australia's example and to ban the use of sunbeds. The scar left on Gill Costelloe's back after having surgery. The Programme for Government 2025 contains a commitment to explore a ban on commercial sunbed use, with public consultation underway and a cross-departmental working group established. The Institute of Public Health last month highlighted the significant public health risks associated with ultraviolet (UV) radiation from sunbeds, which are classified as carcinogenic by the World Health Organisation and the European Commission. Ms Costelloe is one of 11,500 people diagnosed with skin cancer in Ireland every year, making it the country's most common cancer. The National Cancer Registry of Ireland expects the number of people diagnosed with skin cancer in Ireland to double by 2040. Gill Costelloe urges people to protect their skin. Ms Costelloe was first diagnosed with skin cancer in 2016 after a friend noticed a mole on her back and advised her to get it checked out. It was a stage one melanoma, which was removed. Five years later, doctors discovered that she had a recurrence of melanoma that had spread. She said: 'I used sunbeds and spent years sunbathing to get a tan to look healthy, but, ironically, I'm far from healthy now. I was an avid cyclist and never once considered the damage I was doing to my body, being out on the bike for hours on end with no sunscreen.' Ms Costelloe recently got her first clear scan but is still living with the side effects of having skin cancer and going through treatment. She said she wanted to share her story to highlight the importance of getting moles and skin changes checked. 'People think that skin cancer isn't serious,' she added. 'Melanoma, even when it's surgically removed from the skin, can come back and spread to other parts of your body.'
