Why skin cancer is set to become another cost of lockdown Experts warn we could be facing a ticking time bomb, as fewer people were referred for suspected melanoma during lockdown Skin cancer can be a legacy from sunbathing in earlier life Credit: AFP With the easing of lockdown restrictions and the promise of foreign holidays on the horizon, the UK is looking forward to a summer of sun. But as with the Covid backlog in almost all areas of health and cancer care, the pandemic will have consequences for the 16,000 plus people who will be diagnosed with melanoma skin cancer this year.