It's August, when we hope the British summer will bring us some further sunshine. 

As a keen windsurfer I love to get out on our wonderful beaches in Cornwall at this time of year.

This summer I’ll be taking particular care to cover up in the sun, having discovered a lesion on my ear that turned out to be skin cancer at the beginning of the year. Thankfully it has been successfully treated, but I will be extra vigilant in future.

Sadly there are many people locally who will also be in the same situation. Cornwall has a very high rate of skin cancers. Our rate of melanomas is three quarters of the rate that Australia experiences.

Following my own experience, I’m going to ask you to do two things:

Protect yourself from the sun

Prevention is always best and preventing skin cancer starts with sun protection. If you’re out and about, keep covered up with a hat, suncream and sunglasses.

Stay in the shade when you can and avoid being out between 11am and 3pm if possible, when the day is likely to be hottest.

Keep an eye out for the possible signs of skin cancer

Check your skin on a regular basis. Try getting into ahabit of doing this at the start of each season. Skin cancers can occur in parts of your body that you can’t easily check for yourself, such as the back, neck or head.

A partner, friend or hand-held mirror can be helpful. Remember as well to check the soles of your feet and between your toes, these are sneaky places where melanoma can hide.

Remember the ABCD rule: 

• Asymetric (there are no similar moles or freckles on the other side of your body)

• Borders are irregular (not uniform)

• Colours are many (pearly, translucent, brown, black or multicoloured)

• Diameter is usually bigger than 6mm (think the size of a pencil)

You should contact your GP if you have any of the below.

A mole, birthmark or any skin spot that:

• changes in colour

• increases in size or thickness

• changes in texture

• is irregular in outline

• is bigger than 6mm, the size of a pencil eraser

A spot or sore that:

• itches or hurts

• crusts or scabs

• ulcerates or bleeds

• fails to heal within 3 weeks

A dark area under a nail that has not been caused by an injury.

Because skin cancer is on the outside of your body, it’s the easiest cancer to see. And melanoma is completely curable if it’s caught early.

Chris Reid is the chief medical officer for NHS Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Integrated Care Board