in our lifetime:
A closer look at skin cancer
Charting successes through time
Towards a brighter tomorrow
Skin cancer is the abnormal, out-of-control growth of cells in the outer layer of the skin, called the epidermis. There are two main types: melanoma, the most serious form of skin cancer, and non-melanoma. Non-melanoma skin cancer includes basal cell carcinoma (BCC), squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and some other rare types.
For over a century Cancer Research UK has been at the forefront of research into the prevention, detection and treatment of all types of cancer. Among these is melanoma skin cancer, the most serious form of skin cancer. Melanoma is the fifth most common type of cancer in the UK.
Nearly 100 years ago the charity’s researchers helped to prove the link between ultraviolet (UV) radiation and skin cancer, setting the stage for decades of life-saving work to follow. Since then, research has transformed outcomes – in the UK, survival for melanoma has doubled over the past 50 years, with almost nine in 10 people surviving their cancer for at least 10 years.
But Cancer Research UK knows there’s still more to do. With analysis from its researchers projecting a record high of 21,300 people in the UK being diagnosed with melanoma skin cancer this year, the charity remains committed to its vision of a world where everybody lives longer, better lives, free from the fear of cancer.
This in-depth feature takes us through the highlights of a century of progress. We look back at the discoveries that led to today’s treatments, as well as the exciting research happening right now. Cancer Research UK’s scientists are exploring what makes skin cancer start and spread to design new ways to stop it in its tracks.
Skin cancer happens when cells in our skin grow out of control. There are two main types of skin cancer: melanoma skin cancer and non-melanoma skin cancer. Too much UV radiation from the sun or sunbeds can damage skin cells, and this causes most cases of skin cancer. In the UK, up to nine in 10 cases of melanoma skin cancer could be prevented by staying safe in the sun and avoiding sunbeds. But there are other causes, such as inheriting faulty genes from our parents. Cancer can happen anywhere on the skin, but it usually affects the areas most exposed to sunlight.
A closer look at skin cancer
While anyone can develop skin cancer, some people have a higher risk. This includes people with lighter skin tones, lots of moles or freckles, a history of sunburn or a personal or family history of skin cancer.
Melanoma skin cancer is most common in older people, with almost a third (30 per cent) of all new cancer diagnoses given to people aged 75 and over.
Melanoma skin cancer is the most serious type of skin cancer, and can spread through the layers of the skin and to other organs of the body. Non-melanoma skin cancers rarely spread and are generally easier to treat. Still, around 1,100 people die each year from non-melanoma skin cancer in the UK (2021–2023).
Charting successes through time: a century of skin cancer science
Laying the foundations
1801
Pioneering German chemist, physicist and philosopher Johann Wilhelm Ritter first discovers UV radiation1, inspired by the discovery of infrared radiation just a year before. He proved his hypothesis that there would be invisible radiation beyond violet light just as there was beyond the visible red.
1878
Otto Veiel, an Austrian scientist, suggests that molecules called tannins derived from plants can help to protect the skin from UV radiation2. The substance’s skin-staining effects prevent its widespread use.
1891
The first human sunscreen is developed by Dr Friedrich Hammer in Germany. He suggests that UV radiation causes ‘erythema solare’, better known as sunburn3 and uses an ointment containing quinine to prevent it.
1896
Dermatologist Professor Paul Unna from Hamburg observes that “prolonged exposure to the weather” causes skin changes that could lead to cancer. This was called seemannshaut in German or ‘sailor’s skin’, as the condition was particularly common in sailors4.
1910
Professor Unna develops a sunscreen from chestnut extract5, but the formula is a thick paste and is unpopular.
1926
Matthew Young and Dr WT Russell study cancers in people who have a range of occupations, establishing links between cancer and certain chemicals around the workplace, as well as other factors like alcohol and tobacco use.6
Making progress, step by step
1928
Cancer Research UK* helps to prove the link between UV radiation and skin cancer. Its scientists show the first experimental proof that UV radiation can cause skin cancer in mice7.
1983
Cancer Research UK scientists take a step towards new treatments, tracking down faults in a gene called NRAS. This faulty gene can drive the development of melanoma, as well as lung, bowel and pancreatic cancers8.
1991
Early research from Cancer Research UK paves the way for a new treatment, saving some skin cancer patients from extensive surgeries. The drug is a much-needed option for people whose cancer has spread.
Professor Michael Stratton, along with colleagues Dr Richard Wooster and Dr Andy Futreal, lead a bold experiment: sequencing all the genes in cancer samples to identify which ones are damaged. Their objective is to understand exactly how these faulty cancer genes affect different types of cancer, and use that insight to develop new treatments.
2002
They discovered that a wide range of cancers are linked to faults in a gene called BRAF9. This includes more than half of all cases of melanoma10. It is the first success for the ambitious Cancer Genome Project, which aims to pinpoint all the genes that can go wrong in cancer cells.
2003
Cancer Research UK reveals that inherited faults in a gene called CDK2NA can increase the risk of developing melanoma11. Its researchers also show that sun exposure further increases this risk. The work emphasises the importance of taking care in the sun, especially for people whose genetics add to their risk of melanoma.
2006
Cancer Research UK scientists unravel a complex chain of events involving a group of genes called RAS that can lead to skin cancer even when the BRAF gene is working normally12. Understanding such genetic differences between melanomas proves to be key in developing future treatments.
2007
A landmark study, part-funded by Cancer Research UK, shows a link between use of sunbeds and skin cancer. Two years later, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), part of the World Health Organization, classifies tanning beds as a cause of cancer14.
2009
Seventy-five years on from original reports of skin damage caused by UV radiation from the sun, Cambridge researchers, supported by the Wellcome Trust, analyse DNA from people with advanced melanoma. This reveals genetic signatures of UV damage, further underlining the crucial role of skin protection to prevent cancer.
2010
Cancer Research UK successfully campaigns to get the Sunbed Regulation Act passed, which prevents under-18s from using sunbeds in England and Wales. This helps to protect a generation of children and young people from the damage that sunbeds cause.
2019
Cancer Research UK shows that smoking is linked to lower melanoma survival, and that it could be blocking the immune system’s ability to tackle the disease15.
Cancer Research UK scientists identify molecules released by skin cancer cells that reprogramme healthy immune cells to help the cancer to spread. This could lead to new ways to treat melanoma16.
2023
Results from Cancer Research UK’s PEACE autopsy study reveal changes to tumour DNA that could explain why melanoma resists treatment. This could lead to new treatments which could help people with advanced cancer live longer.
2024
Over a period of decades scientists learn more about how we can harness our own immune systems to attack cancer. An international trial of the world’s first personalised cancer immunotherapy for melanoma begins at University College London Hospital17, which could lead to treatments that are tailored to patients’ specific needs.
Cancer Research UK funds DETECTION-2, a new trial investigating a blood test that could help doctors check whether people need further treatment for melanoma after surgery.
2025
Today, despite increasing cases, mortality rates from melanoma are projected to fall. This is thanks in part to increased awareness and earlier diagnosis as a result of public health campaigns, and to research that’s led to better treatments, funded by organisations such as Cancer Research UK18.
Towards a brighter tomorrow
The next era of cutting-edge skin cancer research will focus on developing a better understanding of how skin cancer starts and spreads. Dr Yi Feng is already unravelling the mystery of the mechanisms behind genetic mutations that cause skin cancer, which could help us find ways to prevent it. Dr Amaya Viros – who, like Dr Feng, is supported by Cancer Research UK – is uncovering how melanoma spreads around the body, so we can develop personalised and targeted treatments against it.
There are also scientists funded by Cancer Research UK working on the treatment breakthroughs of the future. Dr Pippa Corrie and Dr Trevor Lawley are collaborating on a national study to explore the gut microbiome and whether this can improve immunotherapy outcomes for people diagnosed with skin cancer. In 2023-24, Cancer Research UK spent £4m on melanoma research and currently has £22m committed to active skin cancer projects. But it can’t make future discoveries without funding.
Whether you’re at home or on holiday, it’s important to protect your skin. Cancer Research UK recommends seeking shade when the sun is strong, covering up with clothes and using sunscreen with at least SPF 30 and four or five stars.
Staying safe in the sun
If you notice a change in your skin that’s unusual for you, speak to your doctor. It may not be cancer, but if it is, early detection makes treatment easier.
Spotting the signs
To find out more about the work Cancer Research UK is doing to beat skin cancer and what the future holds, visit cruk.org
* The charity was originally founded in 1902, and formally established as Cancer Research UK in February 2002 when the Imperial Cancer Research Fund and The Cancer Research Campaign merged
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Citations
1 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11744395/ 2 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8682817/ 3 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1011134401002020 4 The histopathology of the diseases of the skin / by P.G. Unna. | Wellcome Collection, image 113/1250, pg 7 5 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11744395/ 6 https://wellcomecollection.org/works/nd55bwfb 7 Findlay et al 1928 the Lancet – 8 https://www.nature.com/articles/303396a0 9 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12068308/ 10 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12068308/ 11 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12072543/ 12 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17018604/ Dumaz et al., 2006 Cancer Research UK scientists unravelled a complex chain of events involving RAS that leads to skin cancer in cases where B-RAF is not mutated 13 Niculescu-Duvaz et al 2006
14 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17131335/ 15 https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-019-12409-w 16 https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(18)31652-0 17 https://www.nihr.ac.uk/news/trial-begins-groundbreaking-new-personalised-melanoma-treatment 18 Mortality projections calculated by the Cancer Intelligence team at Cancer Research UK, February 2023, for the years 2023-25. Data available here
Saving lives
skin cancer
Cancer Research UK researchers, alongside industry partners, discover innovative ways to combine treatments that can halt skin cancer growth. This treatment combination is now the gold standard for melanoma.
Cancer Research UK publishes the results of testing a new chemical that blocks BRAF13. This discovery was a foundational step, revealing critical insights that led to the development of targeted drugs. This research contributed to what would become the first new treatment for skin cancer in over a decade and a major leap forward in targeted therapies for patients.
