Dr Ramon Grimalt, a dermatologist and senior lecturer for our Bachelor’s Degree in Medicine, also explained that basal cell carcinoma is the most common type of skin cancer, with a survival rate exceeding 90%. However, melanoma, which affects around 4.000 people each year in Spain, is more severe and aggressive with a five-year survival rate of 70%.  In the case of metastatic melanoma, this continues to have a very low survival rate because it responds poorly to chemotherapy and radiation therapy and tends to metastasise to distant sites very quickly. However, “non-metastatic melanomas are cured in 100% of cases,” Grimalt says.

According to Dr Grimalt, the latent period of skin cancer is around 20 years, so “the fashion of tanning and times when people did not apply sunscreen are paid for at that point.” To avoid skin cancer, it is important for the population to make annual visits to the dermatologist, especially those who have light skin or eyes and multiple moles. In addition, “you have to be very cautious when first exposed to the sun to avoid burns and bear in mind that clothing is a very effective sunscreen,” the expert reminded us.