How can you tell if one of your moles is turning to skin cancer

asks Allan:
A. There are three types of skin cancer: basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas are unlikely to kill you. The big threat is malignant melanoma, which kills 1,500 people in the UK each year.

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Q. Is it always fatal
A. Not if you catch it early enough. While it's still on the surface of the skin it can be surgically removed. But if it's left too long, it will spread to the bloodstream or the lymphatic system, which is usually fatal.

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Q. Is it only caused by sunbathing
A. It's one of the biggest factors. Most malignant melanomas are found on women's legs and men's torsos - the areas most usually exposed at the first sign of sun. However, there has been a massive rise in the number of cases - it's doubled over the last 10 years - which suggests that there are other causes, too. Experts believe that they may be environmental. Even so, babies and children should be covered up and never allowed to burn.

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Q. Who is most at risk
A. People with red hair who tend to burn easily are most at risk. It doesn't usually develop in dark skins, but it can appear in areas with less pigment, such as the palm of the hand or the sole of the foot. Other people at risk are those who have lots of moles, who have a relative who's had a melanoma or who have had a previous melanoma themselves.

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Q. Are freckles a problem
A. No, not if they're even-coloured and regular looking. They'll fade away at the end of summer anyway.

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Q. How can I spot skin cancer
A. Any changes in your skin should be reported to your GP, just to be safe. What you are looking for are new or strange-looking moles, or any that have changed in some way. For example:

• Uneven colour - maybe blacker patches
• Asymmetric - irregular shape
• Irregular outline and spreading of the colour into the skin
• Growth in size (more than quarter of an inch).

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By Sheena Miller