What is Merkel cell skin cancer? The signs and symptoms of the rare condition
Jimmy Buffett died aged 76 on Friday (1 September), in hospice care, after a years-long private struggle with skin cancer. In a statement shared on his website, it was announced that the singer, who was best known for his hit song “Margaritaville”, had been fighting Merkel cell skin cancer for four years. Cancer Research UK has recently warned that skin cancer cases are set to rise by half by 2040, with rocketing diagnoses driven by the “cheap package holiday” boom of the 1960s. Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in Britain and kills around 2,100 people each year. It is also one of the most common cancers in the world. What is Merkel cell skin cancer? Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a rare type of skin cancer. According to Cancer Research UK, it starts in the Merkel cells, which are usually in the top layer of the skin. These cells are near the nerve endings and they help us respond to touch. The charity states that MCC is a “very rare” form of skin cancer, with 1,500 people diagnosed with the condition in England between 1999 and 2008. What are the causes of Merkel cell carcinoma? With most types of skin cancer, long-term exposure to sunlight can increase a person’s risk of getting MCC. Other factors that could increase a person’s risk include being exposed to ultraviolet light, having a condition that can weaken your immune system or having a virus called Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCPyV). What are the symptoms? MCC usually appears as lumps on the skin. According to Cancer Research UK, the lumps are often a blue/red colour and less than 2cm across but sometimes they can be larger. The skin over them is usually firm and they are not painful. These lumps are often found on the areas of the body that get the most direct sun, such as the head, neck, arms or legs. Unlike most common types of skin cancer, MCC can develop rapidly over weeks or months and can spread to other parts of the body such as the lungs, lymph nodes, liver or bones. The NHS advises that if you are in doubt, contact your GP. How to prevent developing skin cancer Skin cancer is not always preventable, but you can reduce your chance of developing it by avoiding overexposure to UV light. You can protect yourself from sunburn by using high-factor sunscreen, covering up your skin while in the sun, and limiting the amount of time you spend in the sun during the hottest part of the day. Sunbeds and sunlamps should also be avoided. Read More Pregnant Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker seen leaving hospital after ‘urgent family matter’ Woman adopts husband’s ex-wife’s baby after growing up in foster care herself ‘People looked at me like I was oppressed in some way’: Young Christians on life in secular Britain How to check if you have skin cancer: Symptoms and signs to look out How many times a week you need to workout to get fit Post Malone shows off 55-pound weight loss in new photos after giving up soda
2023-09-03 22:48
Max Verstappen breaks new ground with record victory at Italian Grand Prix
New ground, even for Max Verstappen. A 10th Formula 1 victory in a row – breaking Sebastian Vettel’s record from 10 years ago – and another win at the home of Ferrari. But the Monza crowd were treated under the blazing Italian sunshine on Sunday to some brilliant racing at the front of the field throughout. To the end, the battles ensued. While Sergio Perez close to the end came home to take second and secure a Red Bull one-two, Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc continued to squabble for that final podium spot. In the end, pole-sitter Sainz kept hold of a very much deserved third position. The Spaniard’s first podium of the season. Mercedes were the next-best of the rest in fifth and sixth for George Russell and Lewis Hamilton respectively, while Alex Albon drove one of the defensive races of his life to keep hold of P7 from the McLaren of Lando Norris. This one wasn’t as comfortable as many that have gone by for the Dutchman. At the home of Ferrari, the opening 45 minutes was enthralling. Amid the red smoke of the excitable tifosi at Monza, out of nowhere a delay. Yuki Tsunoda’s AlphaTauri car broke down on the formation lap, resulting in a 20-minute delay to the start of the race. But when the lights eventually went out, it was clean and tidy throughout the pack. Sainz – leading race laps for the first time in 2023 – did well to hold off Verstappen, first after a surge down the outside from the Dutchman in lap six, and then continuously down the home straight. “They have a lot of top speed down the straights!” noted Verstappen. A sense of shock in the Dutchman’s cockpit. But by lap 15, coming out of turn 1 and around the Curva Grande, Sainz could not hold no more. To the disappointment of the thousands in the stands, despite a valiant fight, the route for Verstappen to history was no longer obscured. The battle, as it so often has been this season, was then behind the champion-in-waiting. All the pack – bar Hamilton – pitted onto hard tyres from mediums and the order was largely restored. The question now was, could the Ferraris hold off Sergio Perez, storming around in the second Red Bull? In the end, the answer was no. Of course it was no. Red Bull have been peerless this season and – with a 15th win in a row overall, a 14th win this season – are still on track for an unprecedented faultless campaign. The common theme prevailed, with Perez first taking Leclerc down the home straight into turn one before Sainz – despite once more defending brilliantly, positioning his car exquisitely in the right spot – eventually had to concede with 10 laps to go. But this final race of the European stint remained intoxicating. Squabbles between the two McLarens for position saw Norris clip team-mate Oscar Piastri, while both Russell and Hamilton received five-second penalties; at fault for two separate incidents. Hamilton’s overtake late on of Albon means it was, in the end, irrelevant. What is not irrelevant is the significance of Red Bull’s and Verstappen’s achievement. Race-by-race, tearing up the record books. The route back for the rest remains some way away. Read More F1 Italian Grand Prix LIVE: Race updates and times at Monza F1 Italian Grand Prix: When is practice on Friday in Monza? Alonso makes Hamilton claim: ‘I’d stay with him until he’s 80 years old’
2023-09-03 22:47
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2023-09-03 21:28
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2023-09-03 21:26
F1 Italian Grand Prix LIVE: Race updates and times at Monza
Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz saw off Max Verstappen by just 0.013 seconds to take pole position for the Italian Grand Prix. The Spaniard outgunned Red Bull’s Verstappen to the delight of the Ferrari faithful with Charles Leclerc third in the other scarlet car. F1 grid: Starting positions for the Italian Grand Prix George Russell finished fourth with Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton only eighth on an underwhelming afternoon for the seven-time world champion. Verstappen, who is bidding to become the first driver in history to win 10 consecutive races, trailed the Ferrari duo heading into the final runs at Monza’s sun-cooked Temple of Speed. But the double world champion appeared to have delivered the goods when he usurped both men with his last lap after he had made a rare mistake in his first run by kicking up gravel on the exit of Variante Della Roggia. Follow live updates from the Italian Grand Prix with The Independent Read More F1 grid: Starting positions for Italian Grand Prix Max Verstappen shrugs off criticism: ‘They cannot appreciate dominance’ Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz delights Italian crowd by taking pole position in Monza
2023-09-03 18:48
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2023-09-03 12:45
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2023-09-03 05:17
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2023-09-03 04:48
Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz gets goosebumps after landing pole for Italian Grand Prix
Carlos Sainz said he had goosebumps after sending Monza wild by putting his Ferrari on pole position for the Italian Grand Prix. The Spanish driver saw off Red Bull’s Max Verstappen by just 0.013 seconds to huge roars at the sun-cooked Temple of Speed, with Charles Leclerc third in the other scarlet car. George Russell took fourth for Mercedes with team-mate Lewis Hamilton, who this week signed a two-year contract extension, only eighth. Verstappen has swept all before him this year – winning 11 of the 13 rounds so far – and, despite being pipped to top spot in qualifying, he will still be the favourite to land a record 10th straight win in Sunday’s 53-lap race. But Saturday belonged to Sainz and the tifosi celebrated their man’s pole like a victory. Ferrari flags were hoisted into the air as Sainz, who celebrated his 29th birthday on Friday, hoisted his right arm from the cockpit. “It is difficult to put into words to describe how I feel,” said Sainz after taking just the fourth pole of his life and his first in Monza. “I have had goosebumps since I crossed the finish line. Watching the crowd and getting out of the car and seeing this is incredible. “Everywhere we go, it is just noise, support and encouragement, and it is the best feeling you can have as an athlete. “I have been feeling comfortable with the car, I cannot fault it, and I honestly put in one my best laps in Q3 to take pole. And tomorrow I am going to give it everything for that first place and see if we can battle Max.” Verstappen has been an unstoppable force this season and he will make history if he goes behind enemy lines and betters the record he shares with Sebastian Vettel by reaching double figures for consecutive triumphs. But the Dutchman, who took the chequered flag here last year, might be wary of a curious streak in Monza. Leclerc, Pierre Gasly and Daniel Ricciardo, who won here in 2019, 2020 and 2021, did not finish on their next visits. Verstappen’s Red Bull team are also bidding to become the first team to go through a season unbeaten. McLaren came the closest to achieving a perfect campaign. The British outfit failed to win on just one occasion in 1988. The venue was Monza and the winner that afternoon was Gerhard Berger – in a Ferrari. “Honestly, I don’t believe in statistics too much and this kind of curse,” added Sainz. “On Sunday, the winner is the one who deserves it the most and is quicker and I am just going to try to be that one.” Over at Mercedes, Hamilton snuck into Q3 after bemoaning a lack of grip and suggesting he had been impeded by Red Bull’s Sergio Perez. He ultimately qualified eighth, half-a-second behind Sainz and two tenths adrift of team-mate Russell. When, erroneously, he was told he had qualified one place lower, the 38-year-old replied: “I thought I was P8? It is s*** either way. “I was just struggling. Our car is hard to optimise. There is nothing easy about this car.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Carlos Sainz’s pace in practice gives Ferrari fans hope for Italian Grand Prix How Max Verstappen equalled Sebastien Vettel’s record for consecutive race wins Max Verstappen reveals Sebastian Vettel prediction as he closes on GP record run
2023-09-03 01:56