Four television personalities yesterday joined forces with the health authorities to raise awareness about melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer which claimed 68 lives in Malta between 1993 and 2006. Claudette Pace, Peter Dacoutros, Eileen Montesin and Ruth Casingena joined 90 people who went to Boffa Hospital's dermatology clinic to get any suspicious moles checked for possible complications as countries marked Euro-Melanoma Day.

Lawrence Scerri, the head of the dermatology department, said although no cases of melanoma were detected, there were two cases of other forms of skin cancer.

A total of 336 cases of melanoma were reported between 1993 and 2005. Melanoma is fatal in some 20 per cent of cases and prognosis depends a lot on the thickness of the lesion, making early detection of utmost importance.

Joe Cassar, the Parliamentary Secretary for health, said the 68 deaths in a 14-year period was a worrying statistic when considering the size of Malta.

"We really need to take care of this condition" − one which people need to be wary of from a young age since sun damage in childhood is very harmful and can manifest into problems later on in life. "It is imperative that people cover up and not stay in the sun," he stressed. Melanoma can develop anywhere on the skin, and in half of the cases it develops in a pre-existing mole. The highest risk factor is sun exposure, especially instances of sunburn. People with fair and freckly skin, numerous moles and a family history of melanoma have an increased chance of developing the skin cancer, as do those who were sunburnt as children.