Dutch not alert enough to melanomas

The majority of Dutch people between the ages of 20 and 50 years do not sufficiently check their skin for suspicious spots, according to a survey done by the Melanoma foundation. One in five don't even know what to look for, NU.nl reports. Every year about 6 thousand Dutch people are diagnosed with melanoma, the most aggressive and deadly form of skin cancer. It is among the top three of most common cancers among young people. The foundation surveyed over a thousand Dutch and found that a third of them never check their skin for suspicious spots. Twenty-somethings check their skin the least - 39 percent never do so and 79 percent have never visited a doctor or dermatologist for a skin check up. The Melanoma Foundation launched a campaign to make people more aware of the need of checking their skin. When doing so you should check for a growing birthmark, or one that appeared from nowhere. Bleeding or itching marks are also a danger sign. Dermatologists suggest checking the skin once a quarter.