Tommy Burns remained hopeful that highlighting his battle with skin cancer might make people more aware of the early warning signs of a disease which poses a particular risk to fair-skinned Scots.

Scientists have already identified a skin cancer gene which is believed to have originated in Scotland around 1600 years ago. Malignant melanoma, the most serious type of the disease, is now the most common cancer in young adults.

One episode of sunburn may be enough to trigger changes that result in melanoma, and it can take up to 15 years before the first signs of the disease appear.

The most recent figures show that out of more than 800 cases diagnosed, 150 Scots die of malignant melanoma every year. There are also around 7000 cases of non-melanoma diagnosed annually in Scotland.

Overall, however, melanoma survival rates have improved over the past 25 years. While the disease can be cured if caught early enough, other factors that influence survival rates include tumour thickness, ulceration, age, gender and anatomical site.