Skin cancer rates are still high in the island

The document now goes up to 2018, with the latest figures showing that older people and men are more at risk of being diagnosed with cancer.

Lung and prostate cancer are the most deadly when looking at the new date from 2016 to 2018.

But by far the most common cancer was non-melanoma skin cancer – a type of cancer that starts in the top layer of skin, which can be caused by sunlight.

In Guernsey there was an average of 724 malignant cancers registered each year between 2016 and 2018, and non-melanoma skin cancers accounted for 44% of the these, with more than 300 cases a year.

This compared to the 731 malignant cancers registered each year between 2012 and 2016, of which non-melanoma skin cancers made up 48% of the total.

The rate of malignant melanoma, which can spread quickly to other parts of the body, was also higher than England’s rate, with 29 cases per year between 2016–18.

‘Skin cancers are directly associated with UV exposure from the sun and that’s why it is so important for islanders to enjoy the sun safely,’ said head of public health intelligence Jenny Cataroche.

‘The message is two-fold – prevention, covering up, wearing a hat, staying out of the sun between 11am and 3pm and wearing a suncream, and early detection, knowing what is normal for your skin and seeing a doctor if anything changes.’

Guernsey had more than 1,800 hours of sunshine last year, compared to 1,435 in the UK.

For many cancers, the island has a similar rate to England and the south-west, but there are some differences.

Bladder cancer, along with head and neck cancer, all have higher rates, while breast cancer rates are lower.

Risk factors for the most prevalent cancers, and those where Guernsey and Alderney are shown to have higher rates than England and the south-west, include both non-modifiable causes like family history, advancing age and genetic variants, along with many modifiable risk factors, such as tobacco smoking; sun exposure, or sunbed use; overweight and obesity; alcohol use; reduced dietary intake of fruit and vegetables.

The report is provided jointly for the Public Health services of Guernsey and Jersey by the National Disease Registration Service, a branch of NHS England.

The report is the first of two catch-up reports expected in 2024 which aim to reduce a long-standing reporting lag and bring cancer data more up-to date. This first report includes data up to 2018, while the second report, due by the year-end, will include data up to 2020.

‘We understand that questions will arise regarding the long reporting lag with the latest report including data up to 2018,’ said Ms Cataroche.

‘Although reporting lags of up to two years are not unusual for cancer data due to the need to collate and verify data from all around the UK, we are dissatisfied with the reporting lag we currently have and are working to reduce this.

‘Having timely data will put us in the best place to review and respond to any important changes in cancer rates for our population.’