To mark the first day of Melanoma Skin Cancer Awareness Month, Melanoma UK launched a National public awareness campaign to urge people to go on the Melanoma Hunt and find the estimated 4,358 melanomas missed during the COVID pandemic!

Today's campaign responds to the findings of a global survey of over 700 dermatologists. The study showed that, compared to a normal year of performing patient skin examinations, an estimated one third (33.6%) of appointments were missed – with a fifth (21%) of early-stage melanomas therefore going undiagnosed.

The human impact of Coronavirus clearly goes beyond the damage caused by the virus itself. National lockdowns and pressure on healthcare systems means other diseases, including potentially deadly melanoma, have gone undetected and untreated. So, with our National Melanoma Hunt, we’re fighting back and declaring ‘open season’ on melanoma.

This campaign can be a virus for good. We want people to share our ‘Finder’s Guide’ with at least six others they care about. We all know someone that spends too much time sunbathing, or uses tanning beds. Or maybe it’s a friend who’s a keen gardener or loves doing outdoor sports. It might be someone who works outside for a living –a construction or postal worker. #shareifyoucare and send the guide to them, and ask each of them to do the same with six others.

We want people to remember that the chances of beating melanoma are hugely increased if it is detected and treated early. So, there’s never been a better time to introduce a monthly skin self-exam into your routine.

Make it part of your new normal - it could be a 10-minute habit that saves your life.

Check out our Skin Self-Examination toolkit for more details - 10 minutes really could save your life!

Read the full World Melanoma Skin Cancer Press Release

*Figures are based on 2018 World Health Organisation data and the results of a COVID survey by global dermatologists late 2020.