Today is EuroMelanoma Day. The prime objective of this annual campaign, which was conceived at the turn of the millennium, is to raise public awareness about this potentially fatal form of skin cancer, indeed considered to be the most dreaded form of cutaneous malignancy. Incidence rates of melanoma continue to rise among Caucasian populations. The single most important cause of melanoma is injudicious sun exposure, particularly repeated sunburn. Those having a fair complexion are especially prone to ultraviolet damage be it from the sun or from artificial sources such as sunbeds. The same can be said for children and adolescents. Biologically speaking, sun damage sustained early on in life is irreversible and undoubtedly increases one's predisposition to subsequently develop melanoma.

Global efforts to educate the public on primary prevention of melanoma have intensified over the past 20 years. It takes decades for such initiatives to hopefully achieve significant changes in public behaviour and attitude concerning sun exposure and sunbathing.

Consequently it will take even longer for any appreciable positive epidemiological trends to hopefully become apparent, due to the fact that it takes several decades for the cellular effects of ultraviolet damage to translate into melanoma.

In the meantime, health authorities worldwide have been increasingly focusing on early detection. As in the case of any form of cancer, early detection of melanoma significantly enhances the chances of cure.

Such a strategy has already been bearing fruit as evidenced by improving survival rates of melanoma cases in many parts of the world. In line with this strategy, the theme for this year's EuroMelanoma campaign is "Catch melanoma early, before it's too late". One major advantage in this regard is the fact that the skin is an external organ which hence readily lends itself to observation and scrutiny. Unlike cancers which affect internal organs, one does not require sophisticated diagnostic equipment to diagnose melanoma, other than an experienced clinical eye and perhaps a magnifying tool. It, therefore, rests with the individual to seek early dermatological advice whenever one notices new changes in a mole or other cutaneous lesion that one is unsure about. Time lost at this early stage may be irretrievable.

The only treatment that can really make a difference in surviving a melanoma is adequate surgical removal at an early stage. Hence, a stitch in time may well and truly save your life.