CANCER experts have urged men to check for signs of a deadly disease.

The call from Cancer Research UK came as figures show the number of men who have died from melanoma in the UK has exceeded 1,000 a year.

This represents a 31 per cent increase in a decade.

More men than women die from the potentially fatal form of skin cancer.

Latest figures for the region show that 141 men were diagnosed with malignant melanoma in the North during 2002, compared to 105 in previous years. One of the reasons is because men fail to have suspect moles checked, according to Cancer Research UK.

A survey to launch Cancer Research UK's SunSmart campaign in Sun Awareness Week, found that 55 per cent of men in the region never check their backs to see if moles have changed or if new ones have appeared - an early sign of potential skin cancer.

The survey also shows that 68 per cent of North men do not think they are at risk of skin cancer, even though 44 per cent have been sunburnt.

Another 32 per cent of North men said they would not go to the doctor if they noticed changes in their moles.

Journalist Simon Rushworth, 32, from Tynemouth, was diagnosed with skin cancer last month.

What he thought was a leg rash picked up playing five-a-side football turned out to be the first signs of skin cancer.

His doctor sent him to a mole clinic at the Royal Victoria Infirmary, in Newcastle, where a surgeon removed it under local anaesthetic.

Mr Rushworth, who is married with a child, needed a second operation to make sure the cancer had not spread.

Now Mr Rushworth said he wants to promote the SunSmart campaign.

He said: "If you think something is wrong or you notice any changes to your moles, go and see your GP as soon as possible."

Expert stress that the sooner skin cancer is diagnosed, the better the outlook.

Professor Brian Diffey, from Newcastle General Hospital, said: "The single most important thing you can do to reduce your risk of skin cancer is to avoid excessive exposure to strong sunshine."