"My skin cancer was caused by using a sunbed 20 years ago"

WHEN Sue Timoney was in her early twenties she remembers occasionally using a sunbed in her lunch break. 

It wasn't something she gave much thought to and it never crossed her mind that some twenty years later her sunbed use could result in a potentially fatal form of cancer, malignant melanoma.

The cancer was discovered last year when Sue took her daughter to the doctor and then asked for a quick opinion on a mole on her hip.

She was referred to a dermatologist at Harrogate District Hospital, the mole was removed, and three weeks later Sue was given the devastating news it was malignant melanoma, the least common but more serious form of skin cancer, which can be fatal if not caught and removed early. 

"It was an absolute shock," Sue (pictured above) said, "As the weeks had gone by I had become quite complacent. 

"I was on my own, with my children and husband waiting outside. I got quite upset." 

Returning to speak to the dermatologist with her husband Richard, Sue was told it had been caught at an early stage and was believed to be treatable. 

In an operation soon after, she had a wide excision to remove the tissue from around where the mole had been. 

"They said because of where it is it's likely to be from the 80s and 90s when I used to go on the sunbeds," Sue said. 

"You used to think of sunbeds as a way to prepare your skin for the sun and I'd go a few times before going on holiday.

"The doctor said I would have only needed to go ten times to cause the cancer."

Following the operation she was given the all clear but she has had to undergo clinical photography to monitor her skin and now meets with her dermatologist every three months for check ups. 

Sue is now a passionate believer that sunbeds should be made illegal due to the clear connection between sunbeds and skin cancer and has worked to support the British Skin Foundation's research into skin cancer. 

"I think sunbeds should be banned," Sue said, "You don't need sunbeds now - fake tan is so good you don't need to be having sun beds. 

"The people that go on them think it won't happen to them.

"Until it happens to yourself you're blasé about it but it's so easily avoidable and that's the thing that has driven me forward, it's not something you can't stop happening."

For Sue, the diagnosis has been life changing. She decided life was too short for her to continue working in a job she didn't like in financial services and has set about retraining to become a personal trainer, setting up a studio at her home in Lower Dunsforth. 

She also set about an epic personal challenge to take on the three peaks challenge, the York 10k, Leeds half marathon, the Great North Run and to organise two fashion shows in the last year to raise £6300 for skin cancer research. 

“I feel I am one of the lucky ones, my cancer was less than 1mm, so hopefully they have got it all out now, and I just need to keep going for checks to make sure it has not spread," Sue said, "I know that there are many people much worse off than me.

“On the final challenge, my eyes were full of tears during the first mile, knowing that for me it could have been a different outcome. I thought of all the people that melanoma has affected and may still in the future.  Each and every one of my challenges have brought me back to reality, reinforcing and driving forward my passion to raise awareness of this terrible growing cancer."

But despite the challenges she's faced, she's grateful for the new opportunities given to her. "Now when I look back it was the best thing that could happen to me," Sue said, "It made me look back at my life and make a change. If I can do this at 44 and change my life, anyone can. 

 - If you would like to add to Sue's sponsorship, visit http://www.ittakesseven.org.uk/team/profile/sue-timoneys-12-month-team-challenge

Skin cancer: The facts
- Seven people die from skin cancer every day in the UK.
- Over 100,000 new cases of all skin cancer diagnosed in the UK each year. 
- Rates of malignant melanoma are rising faster than any other type of common cancer.
- At least two 15 to 34-year-olds are being diagnosed with malignant melanoma every day in the UK. 

- There are three main types of skin cancer:

- Malignant Melanoma: Malignant melanoma is the least common but more serious form of skin cancer, which can be fatal if not caught and removed early. It usually appears in or near to a mole, and can spread to other areas such as the lymph nodes, liver and lungs. It is disproportionately high amongst young people and people most at risk include those with pale skin who burn easily, those who have suffered past episodes of sunburn, people with many ordinary or unusual moles, those with a family history of melanoma and those who have previously had skin cancer.

- Basal Cell Carcinoma: BCC is a non-melanoma skin cancer and it the most common type of skin cancer, accounting for over 80% of all skin cancer cases in the UK. The commonest cause is too much exposure to UV light from the sun or from sunbeds. BCC can occur anywhere on your body, but is most common on areas that are often exposed to the sun. They can vary greatly in their appearance, but people often first become aware of them as a scab that bleeds occasionally and does not heal completely.

- Squamous Cell Carcinoma: SCC is also a non-melanoma skin cancer and the second most common type of skin cancer in the UK. They are also caused by too much exposure to UV light, and so often appear on exposed areas of the skin such as the head, neck and hands. They can vary greatly in their appearance, but usually appear as a scaly or crusty area of skin or lump, with a red, inflamed base. If an SCC is left untreated for too long, there is a small risk that it may spread to other parts of the body, and this can be serious.
 
A guide to checking your skin
Most skin cancers can be cured if detected early. The best way to detect skin cancer is to check your skin regularly, about once a month. You should examine the skin all over your body, from top to toe. Ask a friend or member of your family to look at areas you can't see such as your scalp, ears and back. Look out for moles or patches of skin that are growing, changing shape, developing new colours, inflamed, bleeding, crusting, red around the edges, particularly itchy, or behaving unusually.

If in doubt, get it checked out straight away. The British Skin Foundation recommend that you tell your doctor about any changes to a mole or patch of skin. If your GP is concerned about your skin, make sure you see a consultant dermatologist - an expert in diagnosing skin cancer. Your doctor can refer you for free through the NHS.