National Melanoma Screening Program Outline

There are plans to establish a national testing program to detect melanomas early and stem the rate of death in Australia.

Queensland researchers will lead this project and they will design an affordable and effective screening program for skin cancer based on a study that covers 15,000 Australians over three years.

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‘A screening program will formalize the process of skin checks across Australia and prevent death from melanomas.’

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Australia has the highest melanoma rates in the world, with about 16,000 people diagnosed annually and 1,400 dying of the disease.

While there are cancer screening programs for bowel, breast, and cervical cancer, there is no program for melanoma.

Researchers would use total body imaging machines, which create a 3D avatar of each patient, to track and detect changes to spots on the skin. They would also study the patients' genetics through saliva testing.

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Participants will complete an online melanoma risk assessment questionnaire based on information such as age, gender, skin color, tanning ability, and freckling tendency, as part of the project.

“This research program will answer some key questions about who needs skin screening, how often people should be screened, the most trustworthy and cost-effective risk-tailored screening pathways, and the role of digital technologies in improving the screening examination”, said Professor Janda from the UQ Centre for Health Services Research.

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Studies have shown that people who have had skin examinations over the past three years are more likely to have thinner and therefore, melanomas are more curable.

Researchers are particularly interested in people volunteering for the study who do not believe they are at risk of melanoma.

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Source-Medindia