Welcoming our new junior doctor
Paul will join the Ochre Medical Centre King Island in April, where he will spend 13 weeks exploring rural medicine in a...
Many people find themselves red, raw, blistered and peeling at some point during our long Australian summer. It’s almost a tradition and it often happens without a passing thought beyond applying some moisturising cream and making a mental note to be more careful.
It’s this kind of casual attitude to the sun’s effects which has led to Australia having one of the highest skin cancer rates in the world, with 2 in 3 Australians diagnosed with skin cancer before the age of 70! The better news is that 95% of those skin cancers can be successfully treated if they are detected early.
Your personal risk of skin cancer is determined by many contributing factors. The key ones include:
If you would like to get an idea of your risk, there are many personal risk assessment tools available online that calculate your risk based on your answers to evidence-based questions. With thanks to the Melanoma Research Division of QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute based in Queensland, one such tool can be found here.
The Cancer Council’s “Slip Slop Slap” campaign featuring Sid the Seagull is 40 years old this year! We are obviously still under the same sun in 2020 but, if anything, its intensity and your risk of skin cancer have both increased over the last four decades due to environmental factors.
The Cancer Council has added two S’s to Sid’s message in recent years to make the current recommended sun protection measures:
Given that 95% of skin cancers can be successfully treated if detected early, we would like to add another “Seek” – and that is to seek medical advice without delay if you spot any skin growth or mole of concern. Getting your doctor to assess it sooner rather than later will maximise the chance of successful treatment and give you peace of mind.
Booking a thorough, overall skin cancer check with your doctor is also a good idea. The Cancer Council and Ochre Health recommend an annual skin check, especially for people over the age of 40.
Book an appointment with your GP today – it could save your life!
Paul will join the Ochre Medical Centre King Island in April, where he will spend 13 weeks exploring rural medicine in a...
Alexandra will join the Ochre Medical Centre Queenstown in April, where she will spend 13 weeks exploring rural medicine...
Skyler will join the Ochre Medical Centre St Helens in April, where he will spend 13 weeks exploring rural medicine in a...