Occupational cancer in Britain. Skin cancer

Increasing longevity and the strain on state and occupational pensions have brought into question long-held assumptions about the age of retirement, and raised the prospect of a workplace populated by ageing workers. In the United Kingdom the default retirement age has gone, incremental increases in state pension age are being implementOverview of skin cancer
Non-melanoma skin cancer This is the most common neoplasm in Caucasian populations around the world. There are two main forms of the cancer, basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), of which the former is by far the most common malignancy in white people (Miller, 1995). The incidence of non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC) shows a marked geographical variation (Diepgen and Mahler, 2002), with incidence rapidly increasing in white populations in proportion to proximity to the equator; in particular, incidence of SCC doubles for each 8- to 10-degree decline in latitude (Giles et al, 1988). The UK Office of National Statistics reports that incidence of NMSC is greatly under-reported; however, it is rarely fatal (accounting for ∼500 deaths per year), with a cure rate close to 99% if detected in the early stages.

Melanoma of the skin (malignant cutaneous melanoma)
Melanoma of the skin is common among white populations living in sunny climates. Rapid increases in incidence and mortality are being observed in both men and women in many countries. In Britain, the number of people diagnosed has been steadily increasing from ∼5500 cases each year to in excess of 8500, and nearly 2000 people die from the condition each year. Survival from melanoma is relatively high in developed countries (81% in Europe) and lower in developing countries (typically around 40%). A recent analysis of survival in the UK from melanoma found that after adjustment for deprivation the 5-year survival rate for men reached 78%, and for women the rate reached was higher at 90% (Rachet et al, 2008). The authors comment that survival is higher for melanomas <1.5 mm in thickness at diagnosis.