Doctors have accused men of being complacent over skin cancer after it emerged that the disease now claims more male victims than female.
A reluctance to go to the doctor means that, by the time it becomes obvious they need help, the cancer is well advanced and less likely to respond to treatment, doctors said according to a web report.
A survey of nearly 2,000 men by Cancer Research UK found almost 60 percent never check their back u where skin cancer often occurs u for signals such as changes to moles or the appearance of new ones.
Many said they would not visit the General Practitioners even if they did spot a suspect mole, with complacency highest among the under-24s and over-65s. Overall, 30 percent said they would not go to the doctor if they noticed changes to their skin or moles.
Seventy percent of respondents did not believe they were at risk from skin cancer, despite many admitting to having been sunburned.
Dr Catherine Harwood, consultant dermatologist for Cancer Research UK, urged men to be more cautious and aware of changes to their skin.
She advised anyone who suspects a melanoma - a cancerous mole or a dark growth on their skin - to see a GP immediately. "The thickness of a melanoma, at diagnosis, is very important in determining the outcome of the cancer," she said.
"Men seem to be generally less aware of mole changes than women and as a result they often present when the melanoma is already quite thick.
"Detecting a melanoma in its early stages means earlier treatment with a much better chance of survival."
In 2004, 1,002 British men died from malignant melanoma, an increase of 31 percent from 1994. Over the same period, the number of cases increased by 42 percent.
In contrast, rates among women remained stable, with 775 female deaths in 2004, compared with 758 in 1994.
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