a day ago
'I used sunbeds from the age of 14 - now I'm 45 with incurable cancer'
A Co Down mum is highlighting the risks associated with sunbed use, after learning she had incurable cancer at the age of 45.
Allison Coates, from Bangor, went to the doctor in 2017 with a mole on her back which had become itchy. She had a biopsy which found that she had melanoma. A couple of years later, Allison found a lump under her arm and it was discovered that the melanoma had returned and spread.
And in another devastating blow, last Christmas she was diagnosed with metastatic melanoma in her breast and has been told the cancer is incurable.
READ MORE: Sun Awareness Week: The most common signs of skin cancer you need to watch out for
READ MORE: Co Down woman's shock skin cancer diagnosis as experts issue 'mini heatwave' sunburn warning
Speaking to Belfast Live, Allison said: "I started using sunbeds when I was around 14. Everyone seemed to be doing it. I used to go to a salon in Belfast every week in the summer and I even hired a sunbed to use in my house when I was 18. You got a base tan coming into the summer, and you thought you were thinking to get a tan before going on holidays, or before our sun arrived.
"Any change to your skin colour is damage to your skin. I know that now. And it doesn't matter the skin type, swarthy, or pale, and change is damage. I stopped using them in my 20s and started using fake tan instead but I think the damage was already done.
"I started to use fake tan, and became more aware of using suncream, but I actually thought by just putting on factor 15, I was OK.
"Back in 2017, I was scratching my back, it was very itchy, and my husband took a look and said I should go to the doctor, which I did. My doctor was very good, and I was given a red flag referral. I had it cut out and it was found to be melanoma, but very early stages.
"Then I had to go back and have a wider incision, and they felt at that stage that there was no further treatment needed because it was a millimetre out of what they'd normally start to treat. In 2019, I had a lump underneath my arm and it was found that melanoma had spread to my lymph.
"I had an operation in October of last year, in the lead up to Christmas, and they weren't able to complete the surgery because the tumour is beside a very important artery. After that, there was a lot of swelling, and it was first thought that I had a seroma in my breast and it never really died down.
"At Christmas time, I had it looked at and it had metastasised into my breast. I already had stage 4 metastatic melanoma, and it is treatment but not curable at the minute."
New data released today by the charity Melanoma Focus has shown that 24% of people in Northern Ireland are using sunbeds at least once per year and 20% at least once per month. Allison has decided to share her journey, to raise awareness and to highlight the dangers associated with exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation.
"My advice to anyone using sunbeds, is to protect your body," Allison added.
"You only have one body, and it is very precious. The skin is the biggest organ in your body, and the one you really need to look after. You need to be protecting yourself. My mummy had said to me 'Allison, I don't think you should be doing sunbeds', and I didn't listen to her, I thought I knew better."
The national survey commissioned by Melanoma Focus revealed an alarming trend of sunbed use among young people across the UK. Despite the 2011 law banning sunbeds for under 18s, the charity's research has found that 34% of young people aged 16 to 17 are using them at least once per year and 23% at least once per month, putting themselves at serious risk of skin cancers including melanoma.
In addition to sunbed use, the rise in popularity of tanning nasal sprays and injections has added another layer of concern. These artificial substances include melanotan-II to stimulate the pigment cells in the skin to produce more melanin, making skin look darker. The health risks associated with these tanning methods are increasingly coming to light and no forms of melanotan-II have been approved for human use in the UK.
The Melanoma Focus survey found that 16% of NI adults (and 21% of UK 16-17 year olds) say they have used nasal sprays or injections intended to intensify their tan.
For more information about sunbeds and melanoma prevention visit Melanoma Focus.
For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our Be lifestyle newsletter for all the latest showbiz, fashion, beauty, family features and more.
