Visits to the NHS webpage on melanoma skin cancer saw an increase in visits of 741% following the recent announcement from the Duchess of York.

Sarah Ferguson made a statement on Sunday explaining that she has been diagnosed with malignant melanoma, which is a form of skin cancer.

Analysis by NHS England, who runs the NHS website, found that visits to the melanoma skin cancer information page jumped to 1 visit every 13 seconds over the two days following the announcement.

There were a total of 13,662 visits in 48 hours – more than 8 times the number seen during the same period in the previous week (1,624 visits).

Last week, there was also a 1,061% increase in visits to the prostate enlargement information page following the news of the King’s health condition, with 16,410 visits in just 24 hours.

Professor Peter Johnson, NHS National Clinical Director for Cancer, said: “Skin cancers can come in many different shapes and sizes, and they can be different for everyone. It’s important to take notice of any changes on your own body and to contact your GP practice to be checked if something doesn’t seem right.

“Diagnosing cancer early saves lives, so we would always prefer to see you sooner if you are worried about a symptom – it might not be cancer but catching it early helps give people the best chance of successful treatment”.

Melanoma is a type of skin cancer that can spread to other areas of the body and the main cause of melanoma is ultraviolet light, which comes from the sun and is used in sunbeds.

The melanoma skin cancer information page on the NHS website provides helpful information on what skin cancer may look like and how to check your skin for any unusual changes.

If you have any concerns about cancer, go to nhs.uk/cancersymptoms for clear, accessible information about different signs and symptoms of cancer.

The NHS website has over 4,000 pages providing information and advice on the symptoms and treatment of medical conditions, as well as where to find help and support.