‘I can never be 100% certain that my cancer was caused by sunbeds, but it would have contributed’

Callers on Nicky Campbell on 5 Live have been sharing their experience of using sunbeds and how this has impacted their lives.

Skin Cancer UK, a volunteer support group, has raised concerns that social media is fuelling a rise in the use of sunbeds among younger people. It says tanning salons should have graphic warning signs, similar to those found on cigarette packs.

The NHS says that sunbeds can be more dangerous than natural sunlight because they use a concentrated source of UV radiation and can cause skin cancer.

The Sunbed Association, which represents the industry, says sunbeds are “already well-regulated in the UK, with legislation prohibiting use by under-18s’.”

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “We encourage anyone thinking of using a sunbed to consider the risks first.”

Adele said she used sunbeds occasionally in the 90s when she was 16 years old "to get a base tan...I believed that it would help me tan better when I went abroad”.

Looking back, Adele said, “it's absolute nonsense, I just can't believe that I put myself to such a risk”.

Adele was diagnosed with stage three melanoma in December 2019, and said, “it totally blindsided me and my family”.

She finished immunotherapy treatment in 2021 and is "all clear now".

Adele said, "there were never any posters or warnings that this can cause skin cancer”.

“I can never be 100% certain that my cancer was caused by sunbeds, but it would have contributed. If the warnings were there, then my risk would have been reduced.”

Adele now values the importance of skin protection; “Since my whole diagnosis, I've made it my mission to educate… I believe education is key and I make sure that my own two children wear their sunscreen every single day.”

BBC presenter Kylie Pentelow was a sunbed user but explained her attitude to tanning was changed forever after her dad died of skin cancer.

“I loved the sun. My whole family did. Summer holiday was to go for a week in the sun to somewhere super warm and to get a tan.”

Kylie said her mum hired sunbeds, adding that, “she'd have it in the spare room, and she'd have a pair of sunglasses by the door so that I could go in, put the sunglasses on and give her a cup of tea because she'd be on it for so long”.

She described her dad as a "sun worshipper" and told Nicky how he died from skin cancer in 2015.

“It's absolutely horrendous that it took my dad's life. It’s just dramatically changed me.”

Kylie wants people to change their attitude towards tanning: “I've still got friends whose main priority is to go and have a tan. We need to change this culture because it's not good for us.”

Terry frequently used sunbeds in his 20s and 30s and said he had his first malignant melanoma in 2013.

"I used to go to Spain a lot. It was a question of getting a base tan before I went and trying to keep the tan when coming back."

Now in his 70’s, he said, “it's difficult to see or tell whether it's related to sunbeds, but I've had over the last 10 years probably six or seven melanomas removed, three of which were cancerous”.

“That was a bit of a wakeup call.”

Terry pointed out by highlighting the risk of using sunbeds, it can "only be a good thing".

He explained he had an aggressive form of cancer so early diagnosis is "vital".