Skin cancer warning for outdoor workforce

A new campaign has been launched to reduce the increasing rates of skin cancer amongst outdoor workers in Devon and Cornwall.

NHS figures for 2024/25 show there were 5,728 diagnoses of the condition across Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.

Nine out of 10 of these were non-melanoma but skin cancer still causes the deaths of around 92 people in the region every year, according to the Peninsula Cancer Alliance (PCA), which works to improve cancer outcomes in the region.

It said cancer was the leading cause of death in the South West and farmers and those working in the agriculture sector were at the highest risk of developing skin cancer.

Janet Sutton, 73, farms rare breed animals at Land's End, Cornwall.

She had skin cancer removed from her forehead in December 2024.

"I stay in the shade, I don't like the heat. It was the last thing I thought I would ever get. I am a lot more careful now," Ms Sutton said.

The 73-year-old thought the scab on her forehead was an allergy. It was only when she went to see her GP about something else that the GP referred her for an appointment with dermatology.

She had the mark removed just weeks later.

"I don't hide the fact I have cancer. I find if I speak about mine, other people say, I had that. As farmers, we are very rarely in. You have to more careful."

Ms Sutton has previously had throat and breast cancer but she had been clear of cancer for five years before this recent diagnosis.

Her husband, John Sutton, 68 said: "I thought she had had enough cancers not to have anymore. I am more in the sun than she is.

"We thought the mark on her forehead was an allergy. It was getting bigger and bigger. But it was quickly sorted. They did take out a large patch of skin."

Mr Sutton said he was more careful to wear sunscreen and a hat following his wife's diagnosis.

The new campaign will focus on raising awareness among those who work outside, with a particular emphasis on agriculture, farming, and coastal regions, where exposure to UV rays is highest, its organisers said.

NHS data shows diagnoses are significantly higher in coastal areas. Among men, it was highest in Cornwall, Isles of Scilly and Dorset.

Out of the 5,728 diagnoses in the Peninsula 2024/25, 1,950 were in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly and 3,778 were in Devon (2024/25 based on the Cancer Outcomes and Services Dataset (COSD).

The PCA said teams would be attending farmers markets, cattle markets and agricultural shows until the autumn.

As part of the campaign, they will hand out reusable squeeze bottles with a carabiner to encourage the use of sunscreen.

A carabiner allows outdoor workers to clip on their shorts or trousers for ease of use and able to access while working.

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