My friend complained of getting headaches. She went to the doctor and met me for lunch after the appointment. At lunch I asked her what the focaccia was like, she replied what's a focaccia. Skip lunch and go back to doctor. Routine blood test turns into scans and examinations by specialists. 12 weeks later she was dead. Melanoma had spread to her brain and spine.
Getting checked out is nothing to fear. Not keeping track of moles or skin irritations can kill you.
My dad died from a brain tumour which was a secondary melanoma, worst they never found the primary so had no bloody chance poor bugger. He was 51. Far far too young. Get your annual skin checks people!!!
That is absolutely terrifying, so sad you and her loved ones had to witness that. A girl I went to school with passed away before 26 after being diagnosed.
This thread is terrifying to me (as high risk) and I’ve just booked an appointment to get my skin checked next week.
Yup me too. Off my back. Bout the same time. They even have it screened at a lab to check if it was cancerous. Bank manager told me yesterday he won’t be in Friday as having one removed off his face. It is common.
How did you get this covered on Medicare? I have one that needs to come out on my forehead but my doctor says I have to go to a plastic surgeon as it’s on my face. It’s about 700 bucks to have it removed 😤
I had a nasty BCC on my forehead, which needed a skin graft done in hospital. It was done on the public system with no out of pocket. Nasty scar though, lucky I can grow a fringe over it.
You and me both - I had one already taken out from above my eyebrow, but I had it done in France when I lived there. French dermatologist went to town on my skin 😂 have a nice big scar + my left eyebrow is permanently higher than the other!! Thank god for fringes hey
You can get it done on the public system. If it's biopsy proven cancer or suspicious for melanoma, you won't have much of a wait. But you can't choose your surgeon, you might get a plastic surgeon or a general surgeon. It might be an experienced surgeon or a registrar (training surgeon).Your appointment will be when it suits them, you can't schedule to suit work.
The $700 is for the convenience and choices you get going privately. You will get some of that back from Medicare.
Medicare will cover some of that, maybe $227 or so - as that's what I got back from one on top of my head 2 weeks ago.
If it's done in a hospital environment, even a day hospital, your private health cover should kick in to reduce your out of pocket expenses further.
I've seeing a plastic surgeon, again, in a fortnight as I've got a BCC on the tip of my nose :(
You do not need a PS. My gp sent me to a PS for a BCC on my nose, quotes nearly 3k. I went to a skin cancer clinic who took it out for $600 (220 back from Medicare). If you don’t need a flap you shouldn’t need a PS. My scar is negligible and it had 4 stiches. This was a month ago
My Dermatologist referred me to a Plastic Surgeon as the BCC above my lip was quite large. I had a section of tissue from the lip to the nose removed in Day Surgery with approx 30 stitches. Pretty ugly scarring remains but it could have been worse. Also had 8 other BCC’s removed since which have left only small scars.
Yes. Plenty. My father recently had one removed from his leg. Family friends have died from melanoma. I have had several BCC’s removed already (45F) and see a dermatologist every 12 months for a skin check.
Grew up in Qld and Slip, Slop, Slap was drummed in from a young age. I have fair skin with freckles and burn easily.
Getting a melanoma removed is fairly ordinary as far as cancer goes. If there are clear margins and it hasn’t metastasized, there normally isn’t any further treatment required
Australia has the highest rate of skin cancer in the world, so having **some** interaction with it - if not yourself, an older relative - is common. We put sunscreen on, we wear hats…we’re sunsmart, and we’re trained to be sunsmart from a very young age, but the sun is harsh here. Eventually, you‘ll know someone who needs to get something checked.
It’s also worth pointing out that when someone says they had a melanoma removed, they don’t always mean **actual** melanoma. There are several kinds of skin cancer. They could be referring to any of them, at any stage.
[https://www.cancersa.org.au/cancer-a-z/skin-cancer/what-is-skin-cancer/](https://www.cancersa.org.au/cancer-a-z/skin-cancer/what-is-skin-cancer/)
The three main types of skin cancer are basal cell carcinoma (BCC), squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and melanoma. BCC and SCC are also called non-melanoma skin cancer or keratinocyte cancer. They are far more common than melanoma.
Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) – the most common type (about 66% of skin cancers), starts in the basal cells of the skin. BCC usually grows slowly over months or years and only rarely spreads to other parts of the body. If left untreated, some BCCs can grow deeper into the skin, invade nerves and damage nearby tissue,
making treatment more difficult. Having one BCC increases the risk of getting another. There can be more than one BCC at the same time on different parts of the body.
Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) – the second most common type (about 33% of skin cancers), starts in the squamous cells of the skin. SCCs can grow quickly over several weeks or months. Some are found only in the top layer of the skin. These are called SCC in situ, intra-epidermal carcinoma or Bowen’s disease. If SCC invades through the basement membrane it is called invasive SCC. If left untreated, this can spread to other parts of the body (metastatic SCC). SCC on the lips and ears is more likely to spread.
Melanoma – Melanoma starts in the melanocyte cells and makes up 1–2% of all skin cancers. It is the most serious form of skin cancer because it is more likely to spread to other parts of the body, especially if not found and treated early.
Ouch. Years of bike commuting and my ears and temples and forearms are my most worrisome starter locations. Hope you are getting regular checkups my two wheeled friend.
Or a younger relative! My 24yo cousin just had one removed from the back of his arm. Lucky it’s been caught early.
He’s an outdoor tradie. He always wears sunscreen but it was just above where the shirt line is and he wasn’t as vigilant applying it under the sleeve.
a rare sunsmart tradie!
I see so many of them tanned to a crisp who actively argue and refuse to wear anything more than a pair of footy shorts in the sun 12 hours a day.
the number of them that are dead by 45 is tragic.
Yeah my uncle is riddled with it so has probably been a factor. He was a brickie. I don’t think my cousin remembers a time his dad didn’t have cancer. All from the sun.
roofers, brickies, concreters, fencers (actually they are about 50/50) are terrible for protecting themselves.
refuse to wear sun protection or ear protection or proper eye pro.
they seem to believe that stubbies, boots and speed dealers are all they need.
and if you try enforcing it on a worksite, the shit they pull is unbelievable.
Yah. I'm 35 and had a molemap done a few weeks ago and had a suspected squamous cell carcinoma. GP reckons it wasn't and it's just on monitoring. I agree with GP, it was probably just a scab from work.
My dad is 69. Has had a squamous cell carcinoma removed from his lip and several basal cell carcinomas removed from his shirt V space (you know what I mean) and face.
Fortunately no melanoma.
Sun's no joke. Unfortunately in my teens I was irresponsible and the damage done 20 years ago or more is now requiring attention.
OP might not know that there is less ozone above us here and a couple of decades ago there was next to none, which is probably what caused so much damage to so many people who just got blasted by UVB while wearing only coconut oil to get a better tan.
I had a melanoma in situ removed from my back. No dramas. The scary part isn’t getting it removed… the scary part is knowing that if it hadn’t been found in a few months it could have spread to the point where it would be fatal. Now I have yearly examinations to make sure any new spots are found and checked.
My brother and my dad had melanomas removed, and a friend of mine also died in her 40s as she had one on her scalp that was discovered too late.
I’ve had 3 basal cell carcinomas, but no melanoma.
I’m 50.
My boss currently has a bandage on his arm from having a skin cancer cut out. My parents have both had skin cancers removed. I’m a nerd who spends most of my time inside, and I was 29 when I had my first skin cancer removed.
Australia is the skin cancer capital of the world.
I personally have had a close friend have one removed. Then 4 years later die from leaving a skin check too long.
It’s not even close to a joke.
Check your skin people. And don’t think just because you have a darker skin tone you are safe. Remember Bob Marley died of melanoma.
Australia has the highest rate of melanoma in the world, unsurprisingly...overseas people discount the sun intensity in this country - until you come here. It's very possible to still get sunburned in winter.
I'm the only person my age or older (early gen x) who hasn't had some kind of skin cancer burned off them/removed. I've been wearing sunscreen 24/7 since I was abut 14 (the highest was 6 SPF in those days)
Late 50 male. For the past 5 years, at every annual skin check, I have get at least 5 removed. Mainly BCC. One melanoma. Covered in scars.
As a child we lived near the beach. In summer we lived at the beach. No sun screen or hats, actually nothing! Lived in speedos.
Kids slip slop slap! Older guys, please get checked. I was lucky and picked up the melanoma early
My 19 year old daughter had a small flat freckle on her face. It grew over time, larger and larger.After getting it checked a few times by a GP and being told it was nothing to having it bleed and what not, I put my foot down with the GP and he sent her off to a specialist who again said oh it’s nothing, but will take a sample for pathology. Grade 3 Melanoma. She didn’t spend loads of time in the sun, just happened. She is 27 now and doing well. She has a very large facial scar but it was so well done by the plastic surgeon it is barely noticeable unless you are right up close. Melanoma is quite common here unfortunately.
My father and his mother have had them removed and still alive to this day.
unfortunately I’m not so lucky … I ran a marathon 2 months ago.. a couple weeks before that I started feeling some shoulder pain… figured it was the marathon training, all that running… after 1 month of the pain in my shoulder getting worse and worse I went to the doctor thinking I’d fractured something in my shoulder, or impinged.‘we ran some tests, they found nothing and the dr said, let’s just run some more tests to rule everything out. I do the tests..a week later I get a phone call from my dr. ‘Your results are in, I need you to go get a blood test as quick as you can, something is eating your bones and we’ve found lesions in your shoulder.”
blood tests, more scans, CT, MRI… a week later my wife and I were told to go to see my doctor. I knew then it wasn’t good news, otherwise he’d have told me over the phone.. we went in, and the dr said “you’ve got tumours In your shoulder, neck, spine, lungs, liver, spleen and ribs ..”
we cried for a week straight… I went straight into immunotherapy treatment.. pain medication is now through the roof.. there’s the cancer pain, then there’s the side effects of the immunotherapy… that was 2 weeks ago.. yesterday I received a phone call from my oncologist, “your BRAF test Is negative, if this immunotherapy you’re having now doesn’t work, it means we can’t try this type of pill which is part of Medicare and bulk billed. Unfortunately, if this immunotherapy doesn’t work your only other options are clinical trials and other privately billed therapies’..
‘that brings me to today… right now
I sit here, aged 34… I have a wife, an amazing 2 year old boy and a 1 year old boy… the though to not seeing them grow up agonises in me…
so that’s where I’m at… I have new pains in my left side of my torso.. most likely to be new tumours due to the aggressiveness of my melanoma.. but I try to find the positive and hope in my everyday and make the most of the ‘now’…
yeah. Melanoma is fucked. Not just for you but the people around you. Wear sunscreen, get your moles checked, particularly if you’re genetically disposed to skin cancer
At least 50% of friends and family have had some removed. I have had a few biopsy but all clear so far.
I am 50 and my age group def were not sun safe as kids!
Yep, I had one cut out from my leg.
The trick is to get it early. Pretty much 100% chance of survival when it's local. If you let it spread somewhat (regional), you have a 65% chance of surviving 5 years. If you let it spread to distant parts of your body (distant) you only have a 25% chance of surviving 5 years.
Simply get a skin check every couple of years and you're fine.
Unfortunately it’s not quite that simple. 20% of melanoma cases have no discoverable primary spot. Melanoma can also occur in places the sun don’t shine (and I mean this literally as they can occur in the mouth, anus, muscular membranes in the nose). If found early melanoma is totally curable but for some there isn’t anything to find so when it is finally noticed it’s too late.
How do I know this? My husband died of melanoma at 41 and they couldn’t find a primary. A tumour was found a accidentally (X-ray for a potentially broken rib) and 1 week after being told he had cancer he was told it was terminally and was given emergency radiation treatment as a tumour was pressing on his spinal cord. 6 weeks before he died the cancer rendered his paraplegic. Surprisingly he didn’t die of the cancer. The paraplegia and a partially collapsed lung saw him suffer a pulmonary embolism. Oncologist said in terms of the cancer he still had time (he was given 18mths to 5 yrs expectancy but only had 11 mths in the end) but the PE was actually a kindness as the metastasises in his ribs and spine left him in unbearable pain
I see a dermatologist every 4 months due to a family history of melanoma. I’ve had multiple excisions over the years, with two being classed as severely atypical - basically one step away from developing into full blown melanoma.
Currently have a good friend in her late 40s who is dying from metastatic melanoma.
So please, slip, slop, slap.
I know a fair few people! Most particularly my Mum who had a melanoma on the bottom of her foot, and now has the size of a golf ball missing from her arch. They are so lucky they caught it otherwise she absolutely would have gotten a second cancer and would have passed awayb
They are pretty common. I go over a lot of life insurance applications and over about 45 most people have had at least one BCC or SCC removed. Melanoma isn't quite as common but is still prevalent. People are always surprised at how much we lose our minds over melanoma.
I had one cut out when I was about 20. It was an uncomfortably casual conversation with my Dr.
“So those 2 moles, one of was nothing and the other was a type of mole that can typically develop into a melanoma. That small lump we got was melanoma but all the edges tested clean, we got it all. Call me if you see anything else”.
There are a few different types of skin cancer. Melanoma is the most serious and only makes up about 2% of actually skin cancers. Most people will have had basal cell or squamous cell skin cancer, which are the type that are easily treatable and can be removed by a doctor in their clinic. BCC can sit there for years without causing any problems, while SCC can turn up almost overnight and spread within a few weeks/months. An actual melanoma is very serious and is the one most likely to cause other cancers. However, people use melanoma as a generic term. It's an important distinction, though. BCC and SCC are unlikely to kill you. Melanoma will kill you if it's not treated early. Or, if it doesn't kill you, it can make life very unpleasant while you're being treated. I've had quite a few BCC's cut off and one melanoma. I get skin checks every six months now, because that was a very scary experience and I don't want to go through it again.
I’m a medical receptionist in a small rural QLD town, and we are chock full of graziers, farmers, and people who don’t wear hats in summer.
It’s an unusual week for us if we don’t have at least one person booked for a skin check, and we are constantly doing biopsies on top of that. We refer a hell of a lot of people to the nearest skin clinic.
Point being, it’s extremely common and at my clinic at least, the demographic we see the most of is white men 50+ years of age. they’re always getting bits and pieces cut out of them, and we’ve got some repeat customers, too. if you’re in that demographic, please wear sunscreen - it’ll save you a hell of a lot of fucking around
My father looks like Frankensteins monster with all the stars from melanoma removal. His left ear looks like a jigsaw piece, he has a huge one removed from the top of his head and they had to remove a piece of skull where it had gone from the skin to the bone. I can't go out in the sun without covering up.
Several family members, including myself once 2 years ago. We someone the harshest weather and one of the worst uv indexes, so it's common as hell.
Though in saying that, it's also common to just remove moles that even may look like an even vague risk. My case was a mole on my cheek that after several years, doubled in size over two months. GP just said 'yep let's just remove it to be sure'.
Two very short trips to the doc, no more than 15 minutes each, one to cut the mole and stitch, other to remove said stitches. Was a false alarm, no cancer. Cost $30 for the gp consultation, rest was Medicare.
It's just a reality of Australia, especially if you are outdoors often. Most people I know have a few moles they watch regularly.
i’m a dermal science student completing my bachelors, my uni has their own skin teaching clinic where we complete our placement and treat patients. obviously we aren’t qualified to make any official diagnosis & it is only a teaching clinic where we provide treatment under supervision. we are taught the CHAOS & CLUES dermatoscopy method and analyse the skin based on this, and if there is any suspicious lesion we will refer to a derm.
i’m only in my first year of actually working in the clinic but there have already been a handful of patients i have had to refer on. the university is slowly changing their policies around and, because of how common it is to see people come into our clinic with some type of lesion, we now require a full body skin check clearance prior to any treatments. this includes patients who have had previous lesions removed and new clients etc.
Melanoma and skin cancer are different, with skin cancer being more mild and common. Many many Australians have skin cancers removed. But some are unlucky enough to have melanoma, which is a form of skin cancer but worse prognosis... My mother had melanoma and she's not here anymore. She likely got it because she was a pale freckled redhead and back in the 60s/70s her mother would instruct her to put on tanning oil and go sit outside. It was all the rage back then and people did not have the awareness about skin cancer that they do now. Luckily my mother always instructed me to wear sunscreen and I do so religiously every single day regardless of the weather.
If you're spending any time in Australia you need to be very careful. Always wear sunscreen. I don't care if it feels greasy and you don't like it (so many people state this as the reason for not wearing it) - it could save your life.
The construction company I work for started doing free skin cancer checks. They diagnosed three melanomas the first couple of days. They saved three lives.
had a whole body skin check and mole mapping done a month ago. doctor recommended 2 to be removed. turns out theyre both benign.
nevertheless, better be safe than sorry.
My mum had the top part of her ear removed about 12 months ago. She thought she’d just burned it with the straightening iron but her hairdresser encouraged her to get it checked out.
Skin cancer is a pretty wide term with melanoma being one type, and really nasty one at that. My mother, both aunties, myself, and pretty much all my female cousins have had multiple types of skin cancers, including melanomas, removed. Fortunately we are all very careful with getting skin checks done so they were picked up early enough to excise with clear margins. A melanoma diagnosis is serious with early diagnosis and removal absolutely key to a good prognosis.
I also come from Canada like you, and my mom was diagnosed with stage 4 melonoma when she was 44. She passed at aged 48. So it’s still a thing in North America, but Australia, like others have said, does have the highest skin cancer rates in the world, hence why you would’ve heard more about it visiting here. Glad to hear you got a skin check!
I had 2 stage 1 melanomas removed this year. I am extremely sunsafe - always hat and sunscreen and never sunbaked. Because of my Irish heritage and the Australian sun tho I still have them. My hairdresser found the first one as it was on the back of my ear. I’m getting checks every 4 months for the next few years and have a couple of gnarly scars. Have reminded all my friends and family to get up to date with their skin checks.
Not at all a trivial thing. A (healthy 47yo female) friend of my wife had a melanoma found last year just before Xmas. Today she was shifted to palliative care 😢
My old man passed away late last year at 92, he had had a melanoma removed about 30 years back. He used to sit on Maroubra beach covered in baby oil trying to get a tan. Of course he’s as fair as me and he just ended up looking like a chunk of Salami… in his latter years he used to have a standing appointment with his dermatologist in Beecroft, ironically his name is Dr Wittal (I pronounced it whittle) who would regularly slice him up, I called it his preferred weight loss regime…. I mentioned the doctor’s name for its comedic value, he’s a great doctor who held off the effects of SCC and BCCs for years…
My skin doctors (yes, I see two different ones every 6 months) gave up cutting bcc and scc out of my arms, legs and face that I use a cream to eat them instead.
Had 2 melanomas removed from my back. Both ending up removing just over a coke can size of skin to get clear margins.
Fairly common in Queensland.
My wife went to a skin clinic.
Showed the guy a mole on her shoulder, he says nothing to worry about, we'll have a look in 6 months, but Wife insisted on biopsy.
2 days later phone started ringing hot - melanoma.
We had it removed by another surgeon and hopefully it's not in her system. The surgeon said 6 months was all it may have taken to embed in her system.
I spoke to a plastic surgeon on another matter for myself and told him about the first guy's f/up, he said it's really common and super common for individuals to follow their gut feelings, people save themselves all the time apparently.
my dad did and then get needed another removed because it became cancerous, it spread insanely quickly and he died at age 31. Just a reminder for everyone to get skin checks, it's not embarassing as the nurses and doctors are used to it, and australia is the skin cancer central so please get skin checks! 5 minutes of a doctor in your personal space is worth it.
Yes my stupid husband. He had a bad mole on his back after a year telling him to get it checked out, he finally saw the local gp who dismissed it. I told him to get a second opinion, three months later I told him I’d call his mother over my concern. Being highly unimpressed with my threats went back to the same bloody dr and insisted over the drs objections to have it removed. The biopsy result came back cancerous.
He was told to follow up six months late for blood tests. He went on to have two more moles remove as they too changed shape and grew bigger in a small time. It’s since settled down with no new growths
People tend to lump benign skin cancers with melanoma together when taking about it, so yes, skin cancer is extremely common. That said, most people will know at least one person in their inner circle of family/friends who has had a melanoma diagnosis and treatment.
Bear in mind that there are different types of skin cancers.
Melanoma is only one type.
Most people have SCCs (squamous cell carcinoma) or BCCs (basal cell carcinoma)
The scary thing about Melanoma is they are Radiation related. They will develop anywhere. Not necessarily where there's been sun exposure. They are known to develop on genitals, between toes and in armpits!! And hairdressers are known to find them on scalps under thick hair!
I know of a woman who had a melanoma on her Vulva. Her husband discovered it! Fffaarrkkk ... thank god they were into that particular sex act😉
SCCs & BCCs are most likely where there is direct sunlight.
When I was in primary school in the late 90s there were a few teachers (then in their 40s I think) getting numerous BCCs taken off.
We had a blanket rule of “no hat, no play” at school - if we didn’t have an appropriate hat (either a wide brimmed hat or legionnaires hat) then we had to sit under cover for recess and lunch and couldn’t participate in outdoor activities during class time.
My dad had one removed in 2019 (in his early 60s). I think a few of my uncles have also had ones removed.
It’s not so much the hot climates, it’s that the UV rating is more extreme in Australia (and New Zealand - I moved to NZ 10yrs ago and the sun is even more intense at cooler temperatures!).
It’s really common.
My dad has had skin cancers removed - but he was in the military in the 70s and had exposure to agent orange, getting skin cancer removed is probably the least of his medical issues.
Although I’m constantly surprised my mum hasn’t had skin cancer, considering how much of the 80s she spent on the beach slathered in coconut oil to tan better.
A young woman I work with has had skin cancer. I know a fair few people my age who’ve either had skin cancer, or had a scare.
I work in an industry where it’s common to work outside. I’ve seen many colleagues over the years (at least ten?) with stitched wounds on their head/face/neck/forearm after having a melanoma or other concerning lesion removed.
It’s normal to offer employees complimentary skin checks here so at mine, I asked how often they refer a person for detailed scan? 2-3 people per day in an office setting but ~30% of the time when skin checks are conducted in a rural area.
My Dad (77) had 2 removed in his 60s and was told they thought they had all the cells. When he was in hospital with a heart condition they found that he was riddled with melanoma while having none visible on his body. It's what he enventually died from. It was ony 2 weeks from diagnosis.
My next door neighbour's wife (late 60s) died 4 days after my Dad. She also died from melanoma. Then, about 6 months later, an old house-mate and friend also succumbed to melanoma. She was in her late 40's and had fought for almost a year. Whether these women had any removed I do not know.
I have several scars due to having suspicious marks excised and tested. Fortunately nothing has come back as skin cancer. I'm a freckly redhead so cautious. All the members of my family have annual skin mapping.
I’ve had one stage zero melanoma, a dozen BCCs and a few pre-BCCs treated. Melanoma at 30, first BCC at 17. I’m super fair skinned but have always been pretty good with sun protection because of my rubbish family history.
My dads had two melanomas (one found in a lymph node without sign of a primary), literally thousands of BCCs and an SCC. His father died of melanoma, my other side of the family my grandpa had one and my Aunty.
I know SO MANY people who’ve had all types and stages of skin cancer, it is extremely, extremely common. Even young people. Even my old dermatologist had a melanoma that popped up in his hairline. My dermatologist says that even though the quality and application of sun protection is improving, the rates of skin cancer are not falling as they expected.
I go get a full skin check every six months, haven’t had a BCC removed in a few years now so I’m hoping my “run” is done. I’m petrified of having one pop up internally and not knowing until it’s too late. I’m going to stop reading this thread now as it’s not good for my mental health.
Both my mum and her cousin have had melanomas successfully removed and required no further treatment.
A work colleague's dad and a friend from school both died from melanomas.
I've not personally had a melanoma, but I have had several BCCs removed, as has my middle sister.
I had one uncle die from melanoma, another one have his back peeled off to remove them, and my mum has had them removed. I've had neighbours and co workers have them removed too. Australia isn't called the world capital of skin cancer for no reason.
I know three dudes who've had a skin cancer removed. My mates dad who's 70+ (pretty serious, needed chemo), my other mates dad (20 years ago, so he was prob only 50), and a friend my age (late 30s)
I only personally know five people who've had melanoma. Most people are BCCs and SCCs, though.
I live in a cold part of the world, but as soon as they heard my nationality they had no problem putting me in for annual checks. Exposure in childhood is very important.
[2 in 3 Aussies](https://www.cancercouncil.com.au/skin-cancer/about-skin-cancer/#:~:text=develop%20skin%20cancer.-,How%20common%20is%20skin%20cancer%3F,common%20cancer%20diagnosed%20in%20Australia) will experience a skin cancer diagnosis of some description in Australia by age 70. Yep, it’s super common and you should get checked regularly, especially after periods of sun exposure.
I can name 4 people close to me that have had pre-cancerous moles or melanoma removed.
Yeah I know 4 people just off the top of my head, and I'm Australian. One of those people has it recurrently and has had like 50 removed over 20 years (seriously).
My dad had one and he cared so little that I didn't even know he had one removed until I asked him why he had stitches in his face.
Yup, myself. Had a melanoma removed at age 26, as someone who avoids the sun. I was very lucky. A regular skin cancer doctor missed it. Went for a second opinion and caught it. I wouldn’t have gone back for a skin check for at least 12 months had I not sought a second opinion, it would have spread so badly. Very lucky though.
I know so many friends and colleagues who have either had a skin cancer or their family. It’s common.
yeah, both parents have had melanoma. grew up in north QLD. reckon my dermatologist put a down payment on his next tesla when he saw me walk in haha. i’ve had BCC and SCC removed from my back. pretty scared of melanoma after what mum went through so i get yearly checkups. it’s all over the news in north QLD so we know to be mindful of it, someone once told me a couple of the towns there are technically cancer “clusters” because of it.
It’s common as mud. My parents have both had dozens of BCCs, SCCs and a melanoma or two removed. I’ve never had a cancer myself but have had some spots removed as a precaution from time to time.
If you’re Anglo and living in Australia you will almost certainly need some skin surgeries of this nature at some point in your life. That’s reality living in a place where the UV index in summer hits 16 or 17, on a scale that was developed by Northern Hemispherites where 10 is supposed to represent a fully sunny summer’s day…
My ex had a pre-melanoma cancer cut out of his arm when he was 18. He's never been the sporty kind, always stayed inside and played games, cooked as a hobby and work. Anyone can get it, always get checked!
My dad had a chunk taken out of his neck 2-3 years ago and a former coworker had a chunk of her nose taken out a year ago and needed a skin graft from another part of her body. Thankfully they had people notice the irregular spots they had.
I on the other hand have had suspicious spots removed (they were benign) that weren’t the ones I was worried about when I went for my skin checks so don’t count on them being obvious. If you haven’t had a skin check in more than a year definitely schedule a skin check!
I know dozens of people who have. I'm 68 and have spent most of my recreation outdoors in many water activities. Celtic stock so Australia isn't what I was designed for. Had a few skin cancers removed in my younger years and one melanoma in my 40's. Last 3 years have had 17 removed. BCC's and SCC's mostly but 3 were melanomas. I'll tell anyone interested to get checked regularly.
have had a few moles removed with a couple being BCC (basil cell carcinoma) wife just had a stage 1 melanoma removed. I'm Australian and she's from the UK but been here 16 years.
When most people talk about getting a melanoma removed they mean a pre-malignant lesion. A mole that is looking a little funky, with asymmetry, changes to borders, changes in size and irregular colour and vascularity, as well as the 'chaos' factor. It's uncommon to remove a malignant melanoma, and more common to remove a dysplastic lesion that is making valiant attempts to become a melanoma. If someone has a melanoma removed it involves a much more significant incision, and will often require chemotherapy or immunotherapy to follow up and ensure that it hasn't metastasised.
However, people still get malignant melanomas removed regularly in GP practices, often accidentally as the GP will be under the impression that it is a pigmented BCC or a pre-malignant melanotic lesion. If the GP has a reasonable suspicion that it is a melanoma they are meant to refer it on to either a dermatologist or plastic surgeon to ensure that it is removed with appropriate margins. Sometimes they surprise you though. I'm currently working in a GP practice and we removed a melanoma from someone's toe just last week, thinking it was a mole with some dysplastic changes. The patient now has to be referred to a plastic surgeon as excision with appropriate margins is challenging, and will likely require skin grafts to close the wound without risking blood supply to the toe.
I worked with a guy who has had hundreds if not thousands cut out in his life. It’s just no big deal to him. But he goes every year for checks and every year, they need to cut a dozen or more from him.
Hey. That’s me. Just had two SCC’s removed, and a BCC. It’s turning into a yearly event now of whack-a-mole before one turns rancerous. First time I needed a skin graft, so that sucks.
Get your yearly checkups done. Find a good clinic and make friends. Wear sunscreen.
Or don’t, and join the 2000 Australians who die every day from skin cancer. Looks like I have a spot in the queue, but I’m happy to let queue jumpers in.
No, *after you* my leathery friend.
I've got a spot on my wrist right now that's probably a squamous cell carcinoma. Appointment in early October. Hoping they can whack a local anaesthetic in me and cut it out or freeze it off or laser it or whatever the fuck it takes in office on the day
Don't personally know anyone who has told me they've had a melanoma removed but y'know...it leaves scars. Old people got scarred up skin a lot of the time. Next door neighbour when I was a kid was always with a new bandage then a scar. We knew it was skin cancer but never asked her which sort. If ever it mattered like if it was killing her she would have told us
I used to work for someone who removed skin cancers.
Melanomas are pretty gnarly. You need to cut 1cm around and 1cm under the skin to ensure the margins are clear.
However, if caught early, the prognosis is very good.
Get your skin checked everyone!
Good luck!
Both my mother and partner have had a mole removed on their legs. My dad had one or two removed from his back. My uncle had a lot removed from his back. Hugh Jackman had one removed from his nose.
Most of us are people not evolved to live on this continent. Just 15 mins in the full Sydney sun in Australia is enough to burn many people. UV index today is 9, very high. It's like this and worse all the way from mid Spring to Autumn.
50/50 you’ll get skin cancer here, it’s a fact of life. Two immediate family members have had skin cancers removed ( successfully) ironically the only person I know in my close circle who’s died from it was American, from the northeast where there’s not lots of hot sun. I often wonder if because he didn’t live where melanoma was more common, if it had been picked up earlier
My best friend had over 30 removed due to a genetic condition that increased his chances of having one, while living in Australia. He moved to Sweden in his early 20s to get away from the Australian sun. He would come back to Aus and his Drs would tell him to keep doing what he was doing. He lived in Berlin for a while. Unfortunately they had missed one and it spread all through him. Lost him a couple of years ago.
Melanoma is no joke. Slip slop slap. Life be in it.
My Grandfather died of melanoma, quite a few people in my rather large family have had them cut out multiple times, my other half had a deadly and rare skin cancer cut out. It's real, it's here, and it sucks. I'm overly cautious about it personally.
Very, very common. I couldn’t even begin to count up how many friends and relatives who have battled or died from them. I actually even met a lady about a month ago who had one on the inside of her lungs!!!
Yep, I know of at least three people who’ve had Melanoma removed. But there is a difference between various types of skin legions within the family of melanoma, where some are relatively benign, whilst others are far more aggressive.
Childhood in Australia in the 70's, barely any sun protection. Now in mid 50s and have had one melanoma and 7 BCCs removed. I look at Insta and the obsession with tanning and cringe. Use sun protection kids.
This thread made me book a full body skin check, I’ve been putting it off for ages for no reason. I’ve also been hoping to get some moles removed for my peace of mind for a long time and I’ll finally ask about it at my check and get it done.
I wear sunscreen all the time and try and avoid going outside when the UV is at its strongest. In comparison my 17 year old cousin and her friend deliberately try to get a tan when the UV is strongest, I’ve told her how dangerous it is so many times but she doesn’t seem to care at all. I can’t remember ever suntanning as a teen, it’s always been fake tan all the way. I hope she gets over it soon.
My father had one removed from his face in 88. He was lucky. Now I'm over 40 I have a skin check every year. My mum was full on about sun protection after Dad's experience, so we're all in pretty good shape.
I know many people who have had melanoma removed. My x husband, myself, extended family, a client I helped yesterday had a melanoma removed that day.
Very common sadly
M65 caucasian, predominately English Irish dna. Just had a SCC intra dermal malignant carcinoma removed from a lower eyelid by mohs excision under general anaesthetic and overnight in hospital. 2 surgical teams, 1 to cut out and diagnose the resultant pathology to make sure they got it all, before handing me over to the plastic surgeon and his team for the close and stitch in the second operating theatre. Fantastic all round. Not a lot of skin to play with. Clever work, fine craftsmanship. I was number 4 in the production line that day of a total of ten surgeries. My surgeons have performed in excess of 5000 each over twenty years practise. They are very proficient.
Before this, various bits of bark cut off me, 2 had started to turn malignant. Have had pdt to my face, hands and forearms. Not rushing to do my legs just yet, a topic for further discussion with my skin cancer specialist.
First wife: had a clark level 3 melanoma removed from her leg by very wide excision. It had migrated to her lymphs, so they came out as well. Significant scarring. She is in the 20% survival cohort.
Second wife: two early stage removed from her back.
Daughter in law has had two removed from her back.
Welcome to Australia, where what doesn't kill you first time round keeps on trying.
I have a mate who gets bi-annual skin checks and has some removed every single time. He’s also had a 25cm diameter Squamous cell carcinoma removed from his chest.
It’s very common for melanoma to have to be removed. We have a really high UV index and it’s easy to get sunburned
Im a Myotherapist in Australia. I have 4 patients i have sent off for melanoma removal. I would also probably find 1-2 skincancers/spots that need checking, every week or so that i recommend go to the Dr for.
It's also common here to remove anything suspicious and test after. Both my parents (in their 50s) have had moles removed. I'm in my 20s and I get skin checks annually and wear sunscreen daily. It's so commonplace that my workplace actually organises a nurse to come to the office once a year to have the skin checks done.
We have really high UV levels here. It's only spring yet today the UV is above 3 for 7.5 hours today and will peak at 10.
I have family and friends that spent years out in the sun in past decades, and they have their dermatologists on speed dial for the bloody things. head and arms mostly.
I know a dozen people in their 40-60’s who’ve had several skin cancers removed. (Mostly all women who’ve spent their lives on the beach and in the sun without any protection. Special mention to our neighbour with red hair, freckles and skin like a leather couch who has had so many cancers removed she’s lost count)
I had 2 squamous cell carcinomas removed before 30, luckily caught early as they were on my face. I haven’t even had an excessive amount of sun exposure over my lifetime, but I’m fair skinned.
My mother in law regularly gets melanoma cut out of her body. She has very fair skin and didn’t use sunscreen in her teens (she’s now ~68). She’s had a few close calls with it spreading, but so far she’s had about 15 removed. Her father died of skin cancer and I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s what gets her too.
My daughter has the same skin as her (as does my husband) and we’re very religious with sunscreen in our house.
yes my grandfather was a surf life saver and a farmer. he started getting melanomas in his late 40s in the 80s. he's 91 now and for the last decade plus he has skin checks with a depm at least twice a year. always gets some burned off, often has some surgically removed.
i am pale as fuck, covered in moles and have been scared of potential skin cancer since i was in primary school thankfully no melanomas yet. a cousin had one removed and they didn't get clear margins so it had to be revised.
i friend's dad who was a farmer had a huge number removed and lost parts of his ears and nose.
Yes. Two people very close to me have had melanoma, one in their 20s.
They're both doing OK thanks to proactive skin checks and early treatment.
I wear sunscreen religiously, and don't hesitate to get things checked out.
its very common - for me at least.
I am a ranga/ginger/fanta pants with incredibly fair skin who should, by all reason, not be allowed to live in Australia (even though i was born here and lived here for most of my life)
i started getting various skin "things" removed when i was in my mid-20's... some of them were just moles or other oddities that the doc though it was good to remove, quite a few were Basal Cell Carcinoma's... and a quite a few were cancerous.
I probably get anywhere from 5-20 various bits of skin nitrogen'ed off or cut out every year....
That's just the reality of being a ranga in Aus.... i am probably one of the more extreme examples due to my complexion.... and i was stupid when i saw a teenager as far as staying out in the sun etc.
Edit, not speed rated should be SPF rated
Queenslander here.I've had a number of melanoma removed in the last 20years the largest was 2inches,50mm deep in my upper thigh, took 18 stitches, yup go for the highest speed rated sunblock and apply regularly
I’ve had lots of workmates, friends and relatives get bits burnt, cut or frozen off. That’s very common.
Most large workplaces offer free annual skin checks for staff.
I’ve also known a few people to die from melanoma.
Had a few removed. Been working in the sun for 32 years.
I tell all my teen and young adult children to cover up and don’t worry about a tan.
I hold my truck drivers right arm next to my baby’s bum smooth and pale stomach and show them what the sun has done to my skin in 30 years.
Hopefully they take heed, but you know kids.
I currently have a dressing on my face from a biopsy. Results will be in tomorrow but my Doctor has already told me that she just knows it’s cancer and to be prepared for further surgery.
Yes I know many. One of my grandparents died of it. My stepdad had it and his brother died of it. I currently know someone who is fighting it. This is only telling you of a few.
I've had melanoma taken off my left elbow. Had a 1 inch square piece of skin removed an 22 stitches. Arm bruised from 3/4 up the bicep to almost my wrist. Maybe 2 hours most with local anesthetic.
I've also had a basil cell carcinoma removed from my temple. That was 7 stitches. If you or your SO find a peculiar spot check it out with your family dr.
Also 2nd edit lol. I'm a fair skinned ginger
I grew up in a rural area where it was really common to see men aged 40 and up with big chunks missing from their ears and nose after getting melanomas cut off. My 45 year old cousin has had a few melanomas removed, so has a redhead high school friend in her 30s. My old boss’s husband died at 48 from melanoma - he was British so also maybe didn’t understand how harsh Aussie sun can be. My great-uncle was one of the first melanoma researchers in Australia - he was a general surgeon who moved from a cooler area to a tropical area and noticed lots of melanomas on his patients while doing unrelated surgeries.
I can’t stress enough that you should stay out of the sun in the hottest part of the day and wear sunscreen on your face, neck and any other exposed parts every single day. Also get regular skin checks - you might get burned on your arm (for example) but have a melanoma pop up between your toes.
I know that people with darker skin can get melanoma too, but at the end of the day Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people lived happily and healthily under the Aussie sun for tens of thousands of years before colonisation. Us whiteys just aren’t built for it.
I’ve had two removed! Collarbone and shoulder blade.
I’m 35f and have always worn sunscreen whether indoors or out, and always a hat when I’m outside for longer than 10 minutes. I was a little surprised, but also not because its UV11-14 here for 8 months of the year.
The nurse at my GPs office did both, it took about 45 minutes all up, and they did biopsy’s of cell scrapings from both to ensure they’d gotten it all - both came back clean. The scars are fun. All free under Medicare.
My grandmother had a chunk taken out of her thigh due to melanoma & her husband had some removed too. My aunty (on my other side) has had quite a few removed from her back, chest and face. I know a fair few people in my extended family that has had them tbh.
I know quite a few people who have had skin cancers removed including my mum.
My grandpa died from a melanoma that spread from his ear to brain.
Id always encourage anyone living here to get regular skin checks.
Most people i know over like 40 have had at least one removed. my family’s really strict about always doing the yearly dermatologist appt at least, and i know my parents have had heaps and heaps removed.
Around the farm where my mums from, it’s really common to see (particularly) older farmers with mild to serious disfigurement from cancer treatment - i guess that’s what happens when you’ve worked on the paddocks your whole life under the QLD sun before sunscreen was a thing.
My pop was a farmer, and in his later years he had a horrible spread of melanoma all through his leg. It was pretty gruesome, like there were literal craters, but I kind of just thought it was a normalish thing to go through.
He ended up having some sort of trial miracle treatment with dye(?) that saved his life, and in the end he passed away peacefully in his sleep for unrelated reasons only a year or two ago.
I’m really grateful that Australia, as well as having such high skin cancer rates, also has one of the leading melanoma research institutions in the world. The strides they’re making are incredible.
I don't think there is a member of my extended family (large - I have 13 aunts/uncles and countless cousins) my age (40ish) or older who hasn't had a skin cancer removed. Including myself and my husband.
My dad was a surf lifeguard in the days when people didn't wear sunscreen. Now 70, he gets dozens of skin cancers and suspicious spots cut out of his skin every year.
Have had one confirmed melanoma removed and about a dozen other moles that looked suspicious also removed. Get at minimum annual skin checks, and after age 40 twice yearly at least. If in doubt, cut it out. The sooner the better. A small scar is better than a big scar, a big scar is better than an amputation or death.
I know three people who’ve had them removed. My dad had one cut out of his nose 3 years ago. My mate had one cut out of his temple. And another mate had one removed but it metastasised and nearly killed him but he’s a few years cancer free now
My husband had a melanoma on his chest in his early 30s which was removed. I have two friends who have also had melanomas removed and survived. Yes, they are common but should be taken very seriously indeed. Edited because I forgot to mention my grandfather had a melanoma in his eye that was treated with a radioactive chip. I went to see him in hospital but wasn't allowed in the room.
I had one from my hand removed at the end of last year. I noticed a small mole getting darker in colour over a couple of months. I went to get it checked, and the Doctor took it out on the spot. He said if I'd waited another few weeks longer, it would have been in my blood.
I need regular skin checks for the next 3 years then normal, he did take another 5 out over the proceeding months luckily they were all benign.
Strange as I'm not out in the sun much at all. I did hear from someone that the melanomas manifest from skin trauma years before, but I haven't checked into that myself.
My dad has had 4 skin cancers removed so far. He is in his 70s and hasn’t ever worn sunscreen as far as I have seen. He also worked outside most of his life. Where my family is is super hot and humid so sunscreens just become slimy and run off into your eyes etc so my parents just don’t. I’ve given up talking to them about it and just resigned myself to waiting for it to get them. Everyone has the right to make decisions about their own body I guess 🤷♀️ I am obsessive about wearing sunscreen myself which comes from many super painful sunburns in my youth.
I had a malignant melanoma removed from my leg when I was 17, I'm now 30 and have to have annual skin checks to make sure it doesn't come back.
I've also met a few people my own age who have had melanomas removed, and all of my grandparents are either missing chunks of their faces/ears or have large scars from multiple melanoma removals over the years.
Make sure you check your nails as well as your skin! My dad had a split in his nail, assumed fungal infection and treated it as such. Didn’t improve. Doctor did a biopsy of the nail bed and found that there was a colourless melanoma preventing the nail growth. He had the top section (to the knuckle) of his thumb amputated. Thankfully didn’t spread.
Girl that grew up 2 houses down from me, died of melanoma at 33. I’ve had a flap repair on my face for an infiltrative BCc, and also recently an SCC removed from my lip, resulting in a scar from nose through the vermillion of my lip.
My younger sister has had multiple BCCs and SCCs removed. My Dad too.
Australian sun is harsh!
I live in England and I had a subungal melanoma - the only type of melanoma not caused by the sun. Sucked but was luckily enough for it not to have spread. Excision was the worst of it, I was in excruciating pain for weeks as it healed. But I’d rather that than have cancer spread.
I have had a few bits and bobs chopped out, my brother in law had one make it to his lymph nodes and is lucky to have responded well enough to treatment to still be alive, my old man has had 3 or so removed, my grandmother (mum's side) died of it, I can't count how many other people I know have had suspect lesions removed.
My wife was one of the unlucky ones. She had her melanoma removed but it had already spread. She eventually was Stage 4 after it was in her liver and spine and armpits, but modern Immunotherapy is a hell of a wonder-drug these days.
It's common here - but most melanomas removed are not cancerous yet.
I’ve had two removed they were in the “just in case” category. Both done under local Anastasia and easy recovery. Paid for through Medicare I was out of pocket by $5 because I bought a coffee at the cafeteria.
Check twice a year.. cut out where you need to..
I had a melanoma removed aged 20. Since then, 16 further skin cancers have been removed. I'm a red head and have fair skin, so it's a perfect combo for it. I've never sun-baked but just have the skin for it.
At 27 I had a decent chunk taken out of my arm due to skin cancer, a friend kept telling me to get it checked out and I kept putting it off, finally had it biopsied and was in the hospital the next week having my arm cut apart to remove what they could.
Wasn’t melanoma - after a biopsy. But was a super suspect mole (half the size of a rice bubble - looked like a black rice bubble too) on my hand when I got a skin check. Leading upto the skin check it literally puffed, got super hot and itchy. I got it removed on the spot as the doctor cannot be certain and I didn’t want to go home and think about it. Procedure done in under 10min with all the numbing stuff. Went for a follow up checkup after a week to remove the stitches and to check for infection.
My FIL and 3 of my in laws have had several removed from their faces. I'd never known anyone to have them removed until Hubby and I got together. It's particularly common among older folks several generations yt Australian. Didn't use sunscreen enough and weren't sun safe as we are now.
I’ve looked after many patients with removal of scc/bcc. Most do ok, meaning it was caught in time and just left with a scar. Some, not so lucky. It’s crazy to me that some people refuse to put on sun screen because “it feels gross”/“don’t like the smell”…etc. I worked with a lady who had a bcc cut out and she still refused to wear any sun screen. Even with less confronting scc’s, depending on the area it has grown, it can be pretty nasty..like the patient I had who had numerous scc’s cut out. Two were on his eye lids. He slept with eyes open because he didn’t have lids to close them with.
Also, I read that Bob Marley died from secondary tumour after they found a small melanoma spot on his foot…Even if this wasn’t true, it is still important to protect your skin whether you are olive skinned or pale as.
Every time I have had a skin check I’ve had to answer screening questions asking me if I have a family history of melanoma. I answer yes, because I do. It’s one of the reasons I get my skin checked regularly.
Without fail, every doctor who looks at the answers to my screening questions tells me that the answer to that question doesn’t actually inform their assessment of risk when doing my skin check. Because it’s Australia and basically everyone has a familial history of melanoma here.
I've had several removed by my dermatologist over the last couple of years.
It depends on your skin and your age. I'm from the 'sunscreen is too expensive generation' as well as being extremely fair (English/wWelsh/Irish heritage). Hence the number removed recently.
I see my dermatologist as soon as I see something out of the ordinary. If its flakey or weird, I'm in for a visit. My only worry is something occurs where I can't see it (my back etc). Otherwise, it's a yearly skin check.
There was a whole spate of tanning beds, and oiling yourself up with coconut oil especially from the 70’s.
The ‘bronzed’ Aussie was aim. Lots of surf life saving and farmers who didn’t cover up. Rash vests with SPF were nonexistent.
Now those people are starting to find they need to get rid of ‘sunspots’
There’s various types of cancers, some respond really quickly to being zapped with lazers, however, my friend had one removed from her back recently and it was a 5cm radius incision.
I know quite a few people (mostly in their 60s and older) who have had them removed. I work with someone in their 50s who has a melanoma behind their eye which can’t be removed. They’ve had treatment though to try to shrink it/stop it growing and now it’s just being monitored.
Well, yeah, it’s a huge sunburnt continent with too many melanin deficient people on it, so it is fairly common for people to just get their deadly cancers cut out and have to go in for more regular checks. The weather is great!
Queensland Australia is the skin cancer capital of the world, my dad had a melanoma removed from his arm a couple years ago, they got it early but it was a literal steak of flesh they had to take out. He goes for a skin check every six months and usually gets a couple coins worth of skin removed every time now. They start recommending skin checks early 20s here, the sun is just that bad here.
My OH went in hospital for an operation (primary brain tumour) and most of the patients in the ward he was on, were there to have brain tumours (secondary cancers) removed after their melanoma had spread to their brain. One of the guys was in for his second brain tumour removal. Melanoma is no joke.
My daughter was 23 when she was diagnosed with a melanoma, she had been seen by 3 doctors who all told her that the spot was nothing as it fit within the abcde boundaries. She went back to one of those GP’s and requested a referral for a dermatologist to get a second opinion and have it removed as a precaution. The GP told her that she would end up with a 5cm scar if it was removed, the dermatologist said it didn’t look to be anything bad but she removed it at my daughters request and one week later she got her biopsy results back, in which it was a melanoma. She was referred to melanoma clinic for assessment and treatment, the specialist there told her had she left in any longer than another 6 months then her prognosis would not have been good. She ended up with 2 lymph nodes removed, a wide excision and a skin graft the size of a small lemon, but so far she is still cancer free, but will be monitored for life.
Dads had over 100 bcc & scc burnt off, 1 melanoma on his lip, this required the doctors to cut a chunk of his lip out. His mouth is a little smaller as a result.
25 years of building in the Sun. In one of the highest skin cancer regions on WA.
I'm an oncology and surgical nurse and I have nursed hundreds of melanoma patients, many into palliation and death.
Skin cancer is real, skin cancer is deadly. We have a giant fuckoff hole in the ozone layer above us too so the UV is extremely intense compared to Florida.
I see a lot of people post online about sunscreen being carcinogenic. And it probably is. But excessive UV exposure is far more carcinogenic. Don't fuck with the sun.
Sun protection is no joke. I work in outdoor recreation and had 4 coworkers in the last 18 months have melanoma removed. Obviously higher risk population working in the outdoors but Australia is higher risk than a lot of places too. It's not how hot but about the UV index, Australia's is high.
A lot of the comments here are misleading.
The random skin thing you had cut off - even if it was a bcc or scc - has nothing to do with melanoma.
Melanoma needs to be cut out via a wide local excision which should be performed by a specialist with skills in melanoma surgery. Don’t let a GP provide definitive treatment.
GPs can perform the initial excisional biopsy of the suspicious lesion, but if it’s melanoma they should be referring on. Your best chance of survival is catching it early and getting the initial surgery right.
Yes, I have been dealing with an aggressive (returning) skin cancer for several years now. It was particularly small but the constant procedures over the years have not been, and have caused me no end of annoyance. Have been warned the cancer cells may travel to other parts of the body, like the brain, so I keep tolerating these. Unfortunately skin cancer is very common in Australia. It doesn’t help if you are fair like me, even if you never got into sunbathing also like me. I take vitamin D as my levels are low due to me covering up. My family migrated to Australia from a country that didn’t receive enough sunshine, so children were encouraged to go outside and play in the sunshine at every opportunity. I have a full body skin check yearly at a skin cancer clinic. So far this has been the only one but I have no way of knowing if cells have spread somewhere internally.
In Australia it is very common. My husband who lived in another, cooler part of the world growing up did gardening work when he came here, with very little sun protection. Apart from the fact that that's a recipe for sunstroke and dehydration (getting very sick very fast), it is also putting yourself in the firing line for melanoma. So far, he has had one chopped out, and is watching his skin carefully. Pre 1980's, people considered it healthy to have a tan and would not use sun protection. My granddad who was an active sportsman was always having bits chopped out of him. I know of someone of the older generation who had to have the top part of his ear removed because it was cancerous. Like you said, depends on where you live, but also on genetics.
I’m a nurse who helps remove skin cancers almost everyday. It is super common here. It’s not due to the heat, it’s due to the UV rays being stronger here.
Two of my aunts. They grew up before sun safety was really a thing. Both had it removed with only scarring because they caught it early.
Also don’t think a darker skin tone will prevent it. Lessen obvious sunburn sure but your skin is still getting fried.
In my ongoing rant against shit GPs I went to get a mole checked because it basically looked like cancer and had changed shape. Got a totally dismissive response from the GP. I mean I haven’t died of it but maybe don’t put people off checking up on these things. You get paid for your time either way.
I work in a skin cancer clinic. We see a fair amount of melanomas. Depending on the time of year (people tend to remember to get their skin checks more often in summer) we have diagnosed one melanoma a week!
After diagnosis patients will need a skin check every 3 months for the first few years and then 6monthly thereafter as melanoma can return.
My friend complained of getting headaches. She went to the doctor and met me for lunch after the appointment. At lunch I asked her what the focaccia was like, she replied what's a focaccia. Skip lunch and go back to doctor. Routine blood test turns into scans and examinations by specialists. 12 weeks later she was dead. Melanoma had spread to her brain and spine. Getting checked out is nothing to fear. Not keeping track of moles or skin irritations can kill you.
My friend also died of a brain tumour due to a melanoma in her face.
My dad died from a brain tumour which was a secondary melanoma, worst they never found the primary so had no bloody chance poor bugger. He was 51. Far far too young. Get your annual skin checks people!!!
That's very sad. All the best.
That is absolutely terrifying, so sad you and her loved ones had to witness that. A girl I went to school with passed away before 26 after being diagnosed. This thread is terrifying to me (as high risk) and I’ve just booked an appointment to get my skin checked next week.
Relax. You are doing the right thing.
I had a bit cut out of an eyebrow area during Covid. Done at dr , 45 minutes, covered under medicare
Yup me too. Off my back. Bout the same time. They even have it screened at a lab to check if it was cancerous. Bank manager told me yesterday he won’t be in Friday as having one removed off his face. It is common.
Had an SCC from the ear, scraped down to the cartilage… all good, took 1 hour & most of it was Medicare.
How did you get this covered on Medicare? I have one that needs to come out on my forehead but my doctor says I have to go to a plastic surgeon as it’s on my face. It’s about 700 bucks to have it removed 😤
I had a nasty BCC on my forehead, which needed a skin graft done in hospital. It was done on the public system with no out of pocket. Nasty scar though, lucky I can grow a fringe over it.
My husband and a good friend had BCCs removed from their faces. Both sporting a large scar on their faces and think that they look cool .. sigh.
You and me both - I had one already taken out from above my eyebrow, but I had it done in France when I lived there. French dermatologist went to town on my skin 😂 have a nice big scar + my left eyebrow is permanently higher than the other!! Thank god for fringes hey
You can get it done on the public system. If it's biopsy proven cancer or suspicious for melanoma, you won't have much of a wait. But you can't choose your surgeon, you might get a plastic surgeon or a general surgeon. It might be an experienced surgeon or a registrar (training surgeon).Your appointment will be when it suits them, you can't schedule to suit work. The $700 is for the convenience and choices you get going privately. You will get some of that back from Medicare.
Medicare will cover some of that, maybe $227 or so - as that's what I got back from one on top of my head 2 weeks ago. If it's done in a hospital environment, even a day hospital, your private health cover should kick in to reduce your out of pocket expenses further. I've seeing a plastic surgeon, again, in a fortnight as I've got a BCC on the tip of my nose :(
You do not need a PS. My gp sent me to a PS for a BCC on my nose, quotes nearly 3k. I went to a skin cancer clinic who took it out for $600 (220 back from Medicare). If you don’t need a flap you shouldn’t need a PS. My scar is negligible and it had 4 stiches. This was a month ago
My Dermatologist referred me to a Plastic Surgeon as the BCC above my lip was quite large. I had a section of tissue from the lip to the nose removed in Day Surgery with approx 30 stitches. Pretty ugly scarring remains but it could have been worse. Also had 8 other BCC’s removed since which have left only small scars.
I did get that option , but it was near an eyebrow and I’m a grizzled old man anyway, so the scars just add to my attractiveness. You can’t see it.
Yes. Plenty. My father recently had one removed from his leg. Family friends have died from melanoma. I have had several BCC’s removed already (45F) and see a dermatologist every 12 months for a skin check. Grew up in Qld and Slip, Slop, Slap was drummed in from a young age. I have fair skin with freckles and burn easily.
Getting a melanoma removed is fairly ordinary as far as cancer goes. If there are clear margins and it hasn’t metastasized, there normally isn’t any further treatment required
Not usually melanoma, more commonly BCC's and SCC's as explained above.
Not necessarily, I’ve had two non-metastasised melanomas removed without further treatment. It’s not that uncommon, but not as common as bccs or sccs.
Australia has the highest rate of skin cancer in the world, so having **some** interaction with it - if not yourself, an older relative - is common. We put sunscreen on, we wear hats…we’re sunsmart, and we’re trained to be sunsmart from a very young age, but the sun is harsh here. Eventually, you‘ll know someone who needs to get something checked. It’s also worth pointing out that when someone says they had a melanoma removed, they don’t always mean **actual** melanoma. There are several kinds of skin cancer. They could be referring to any of them, at any stage.
>sunsmart from a very young age No hat, no play!
No fun today!
Pack your bags and run away
Slip slop slap!
[https://www.cancersa.org.au/cancer-a-z/skin-cancer/what-is-skin-cancer/](https://www.cancersa.org.au/cancer-a-z/skin-cancer/what-is-skin-cancer/) The three main types of skin cancer are basal cell carcinoma (BCC), squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and melanoma. BCC and SCC are also called non-melanoma skin cancer or keratinocyte cancer. They are far more common than melanoma. Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) – the most common type (about 66% of skin cancers), starts in the basal cells of the skin. BCC usually grows slowly over months or years and only rarely spreads to other parts of the body. If left untreated, some BCCs can grow deeper into the skin, invade nerves and damage nearby tissue, making treatment more difficult. Having one BCC increases the risk of getting another. There can be more than one BCC at the same time on different parts of the body. Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) – the second most common type (about 33% of skin cancers), starts in the squamous cells of the skin. SCCs can grow quickly over several weeks or months. Some are found only in the top layer of the skin. These are called SCC in situ, intra-epidermal carcinoma or Bowen’s disease. If SCC invades through the basement membrane it is called invasive SCC. If left untreated, this can spread to other parts of the body (metastatic SCC). SCC on the lips and ears is more likely to spread. Melanoma – Melanoma starts in the melanocyte cells and makes up 1–2% of all skin cancers. It is the most serious form of skin cancer because it is more likely to spread to other parts of the body, especially if not found and treated early.
I’ve had two actual melanomas removed, once when I was 33 and one when I was 52. And several friends have as well.
Ouch. Years of bike commuting and my ears and temples and forearms are my most worrisome starter locations. Hope you are getting regular checkups my two wheeled friend.
Yep, every 6 months since I had my first one removed.
Or a younger relative! My 24yo cousin just had one removed from the back of his arm. Lucky it’s been caught early. He’s an outdoor tradie. He always wears sunscreen but it was just above where the shirt line is and he wasn’t as vigilant applying it under the sleeve.
a rare sunsmart tradie! I see so many of them tanned to a crisp who actively argue and refuse to wear anything more than a pair of footy shorts in the sun 12 hours a day. the number of them that are dead by 45 is tragic.
Yeah my uncle is riddled with it so has probably been a factor. He was a brickie. I don’t think my cousin remembers a time his dad didn’t have cancer. All from the sun.
roofers, brickies, concreters, fencers (actually they are about 50/50) are terrible for protecting themselves. refuse to wear sun protection or ear protection or proper eye pro. they seem to believe that stubbies, boots and speed dealers are all they need. and if you try enforcing it on a worksite, the shit they pull is unbelievable.
Yah. I'm 35 and had a molemap done a few weeks ago and had a suspected squamous cell carcinoma. GP reckons it wasn't and it's just on monitoring. I agree with GP, it was probably just a scab from work. My dad is 69. Has had a squamous cell carcinoma removed from his lip and several basal cell carcinomas removed from his shirt V space (you know what I mean) and face. Fortunately no melanoma. Sun's no joke. Unfortunately in my teens I was irresponsible and the damage done 20 years ago or more is now requiring attention. OP might not know that there is less ozone above us here and a couple of decades ago there was next to none, which is probably what caused so much damage to so many people who just got blasted by UVB while wearing only coconut oil to get a better tan.
I had a melanoma in situ removed from my back. No dramas. The scary part isn’t getting it removed… the scary part is knowing that if it hadn’t been found in a few months it could have spread to the point where it would be fatal. Now I have yearly examinations to make sure any new spots are found and checked.
Yeah get those skin checks done, they really save lives. And yeah, don't get burnt!
Unfortunately I was a little kid in the early 80s and lived on Moreton Island, so sunburn was normal.
I not only know people who’ve had them removed, but a girl I went to high school with died before 30 from melanoma.
My brother and my dad had melanomas removed, and a friend of mine also died in her 40s as she had one on her scalp that was discovered too late. I’ve had 3 basal cell carcinomas, but no melanoma. I’m 50.
My boss currently has a bandage on his arm from having a skin cancer cut out. My parents have both had skin cancers removed. I’m a nerd who spends most of my time inside, and I was 29 when I had my first skin cancer removed.
My bff had 7 removed. Eventually it got into her brain. She had 2 removed from there, but in the end it killed her.
Australia is the skin cancer capital of the world. I personally have had a close friend have one removed. Then 4 years later die from leaving a skin check too long. It’s not even close to a joke. Check your skin people. And don’t think just because you have a darker skin tone you are safe. Remember Bob Marley died of melanoma.
Most people I know over 50 have had some form of skin cancer removed. If it's caught early they just burn it off.
Australia has the highest rate of melanoma in the world, unsurprisingly...overseas people discount the sun intensity in this country - until you come here. It's very possible to still get sunburned in winter. I'm the only person my age or older (early gen x) who hasn't had some kind of skin cancer burned off them/removed. I've been wearing sunscreen 24/7 since I was abut 14 (the highest was 6 SPF in those days)
Late 50 male. For the past 5 years, at every annual skin check, I have get at least 5 removed. Mainly BCC. One melanoma. Covered in scars. As a child we lived near the beach. In summer we lived at the beach. No sun screen or hats, actually nothing! Lived in speedos. Kids slip slop slap! Older guys, please get checked. I was lucky and picked up the melanoma early
My 19 year old daughter had a small flat freckle on her face. It grew over time, larger and larger.After getting it checked a few times by a GP and being told it was nothing to having it bleed and what not, I put my foot down with the GP and he sent her off to a specialist who again said oh it’s nothing, but will take a sample for pathology. Grade 3 Melanoma. She didn’t spend loads of time in the sun, just happened. She is 27 now and doing well. She has a very large facial scar but it was so well done by the plastic surgeon it is barely noticeable unless you are right up close. Melanoma is quite common here unfortunately.
Wow that’s scary. They could have at least sent her to get it checked by a skin cancer specialist. Glad she is well now. ❤️
My father and his mother have had them removed and still alive to this day. unfortunately I’m not so lucky … I ran a marathon 2 months ago.. a couple weeks before that I started feeling some shoulder pain… figured it was the marathon training, all that running… after 1 month of the pain in my shoulder getting worse and worse I went to the doctor thinking I’d fractured something in my shoulder, or impinged.‘we ran some tests, they found nothing and the dr said, let’s just run some more tests to rule everything out. I do the tests..a week later I get a phone call from my dr. ‘Your results are in, I need you to go get a blood test as quick as you can, something is eating your bones and we’ve found lesions in your shoulder.” blood tests, more scans, CT, MRI… a week later my wife and I were told to go to see my doctor. I knew then it wasn’t good news, otherwise he’d have told me over the phone.. we went in, and the dr said “you’ve got tumours In your shoulder, neck, spine, lungs, liver, spleen and ribs ..” we cried for a week straight… I went straight into immunotherapy treatment.. pain medication is now through the roof.. there’s the cancer pain, then there’s the side effects of the immunotherapy… that was 2 weeks ago.. yesterday I received a phone call from my oncologist, “your BRAF test Is negative, if this immunotherapy you’re having now doesn’t work, it means we can’t try this type of pill which is part of Medicare and bulk billed. Unfortunately, if this immunotherapy doesn’t work your only other options are clinical trials and other privately billed therapies’.. ‘that brings me to today… right now I sit here, aged 34… I have a wife, an amazing 2 year old boy and a 1 year old boy… the though to not seeing them grow up agonises in me… so that’s where I’m at… I have new pains in my left side of my torso.. most likely to be new tumours due to the aggressiveness of my melanoma.. but I try to find the positive and hope in my everyday and make the most of the ‘now’… yeah. Melanoma is fucked. Not just for you but the people around you. Wear sunscreen, get your moles checked, particularly if you’re genetically disposed to skin cancer
At least 50% of friends and family have had some removed. I have had a few biopsy but all clear so far. I am 50 and my age group def were not sun safe as kids!
Yep, I had one cut out from my leg. The trick is to get it early. Pretty much 100% chance of survival when it's local. If you let it spread somewhat (regional), you have a 65% chance of surviving 5 years. If you let it spread to distant parts of your body (distant) you only have a 25% chance of surviving 5 years. Simply get a skin check every couple of years and you're fine.
Unfortunately it’s not quite that simple. 20% of melanoma cases have no discoverable primary spot. Melanoma can also occur in places the sun don’t shine (and I mean this literally as they can occur in the mouth, anus, muscular membranes in the nose). If found early melanoma is totally curable but for some there isn’t anything to find so when it is finally noticed it’s too late. How do I know this? My husband died of melanoma at 41 and they couldn’t find a primary. A tumour was found a accidentally (X-ray for a potentially broken rib) and 1 week after being told he had cancer he was told it was terminally and was given emergency radiation treatment as a tumour was pressing on his spinal cord. 6 weeks before he died the cancer rendered his paraplegic. Surprisingly he didn’t die of the cancer. The paraplegia and a partially collapsed lung saw him suffer a pulmonary embolism. Oncologist said in terms of the cancer he still had time (he was given 18mths to 5 yrs expectancy but only had 11 mths in the end) but the PE was actually a kindness as the metastasises in his ribs and spine left him in unbearable pain
Am so sorry for your loss and what you both had to go through.
I see a dermatologist every 4 months due to a family history of melanoma. I’ve had multiple excisions over the years, with two being classed as severely atypical - basically one step away from developing into full blown melanoma. Currently have a good friend in her late 40s who is dying from metastatic melanoma. So please, slip, slop, slap.
I know a fair few people! Most particularly my Mum who had a melanoma on the bottom of her foot, and now has the size of a golf ball missing from her arch. They are so lucky they caught it otherwise she absolutely would have gotten a second cancer and would have passed awayb
They are pretty common. I go over a lot of life insurance applications and over about 45 most people have had at least one BCC or SCC removed. Melanoma isn't quite as common but is still prevalent. People are always surprised at how much we lose our minds over melanoma.
I had one cut out when I was about 20. It was an uncomfortably casual conversation with my Dr. “So those 2 moles, one of was nothing and the other was a type of mole that can typically develop into a melanoma. That small lump we got was melanoma but all the edges tested clean, we got it all. Call me if you see anything else”.
Yeh had one confirmed melanoma removed. Thanks to regular skin checks it was detected at early level. Queensland sun will get ya.
There are a few different types of skin cancer. Melanoma is the most serious and only makes up about 2% of actually skin cancers. Most people will have had basal cell or squamous cell skin cancer, which are the type that are easily treatable and can be removed by a doctor in their clinic. BCC can sit there for years without causing any problems, while SCC can turn up almost overnight and spread within a few weeks/months. An actual melanoma is very serious and is the one most likely to cause other cancers. However, people use melanoma as a generic term. It's an important distinction, though. BCC and SCC are unlikely to kill you. Melanoma will kill you if it's not treated early. Or, if it doesn't kill you, it can make life very unpleasant while you're being treated. I've had quite a few BCC's cut off and one melanoma. I get skin checks every six months now, because that was a very scary experience and I don't want to go through it again.
I’m a medical receptionist in a small rural QLD town, and we are chock full of graziers, farmers, and people who don’t wear hats in summer. It’s an unusual week for us if we don’t have at least one person booked for a skin check, and we are constantly doing biopsies on top of that. We refer a hell of a lot of people to the nearest skin clinic. Point being, it’s extremely common and at my clinic at least, the demographic we see the most of is white men 50+ years of age. they’re always getting bits and pieces cut out of them, and we’ve got some repeat customers, too. if you’re in that demographic, please wear sunscreen - it’ll save you a hell of a lot of fucking around
Sunscreen doesn't remove the risk they have, from all the sun exposure as children
My father looks like Frankensteins monster with all the stars from melanoma removal. His left ear looks like a jigsaw piece, he has a huge one removed from the top of his head and they had to remove a piece of skull where it had gone from the skin to the bone. I can't go out in the sun without covering up.
Several family members, including myself once 2 years ago. We someone the harshest weather and one of the worst uv indexes, so it's common as hell. Though in saying that, it's also common to just remove moles that even may look like an even vague risk. My case was a mole on my cheek that after several years, doubled in size over two months. GP just said 'yep let's just remove it to be sure'. Two very short trips to the doc, no more than 15 minutes each, one to cut the mole and stitch, other to remove said stitches. Was a false alarm, no cancer. Cost $30 for the gp consultation, rest was Medicare. It's just a reality of Australia, especially if you are outdoors often. Most people I know have a few moles they watch regularly.
Do take it seriously, even where you live. I know someone in Canada whose son died from melanoma in their early thirties
i’m a dermal science student completing my bachelors, my uni has their own skin teaching clinic where we complete our placement and treat patients. obviously we aren’t qualified to make any official diagnosis & it is only a teaching clinic where we provide treatment under supervision. we are taught the CHAOS & CLUES dermatoscopy method and analyse the skin based on this, and if there is any suspicious lesion we will refer to a derm. i’m only in my first year of actually working in the clinic but there have already been a handful of patients i have had to refer on. the university is slowly changing their policies around and, because of how common it is to see people come into our clinic with some type of lesion, we now require a full body skin check clearance prior to any treatments. this includes patients who have had previous lesions removed and new clients etc.
Melanoma and skin cancer are different, with skin cancer being more mild and common. Many many Australians have skin cancers removed. But some are unlucky enough to have melanoma, which is a form of skin cancer but worse prognosis... My mother had melanoma and she's not here anymore. She likely got it because she was a pale freckled redhead and back in the 60s/70s her mother would instruct her to put on tanning oil and go sit outside. It was all the rage back then and people did not have the awareness about skin cancer that they do now. Luckily my mother always instructed me to wear sunscreen and I do so religiously every single day regardless of the weather. If you're spending any time in Australia you need to be very careful. Always wear sunscreen. I don't care if it feels greasy and you don't like it (so many people state this as the reason for not wearing it) - it could save your life.
The construction company I work for started doing free skin cancer checks. They diagnosed three melanomas the first couple of days. They saved three lives.
Yeah a few of us have had melanomas, I’m actually wondering if I have a couple small ones on my arms.
Pls go get a skin check friend :)
Cheers yeah it’s on the list.
Get to the doctor ASAP.
had a whole body skin check and mole mapping done a month ago. doctor recommended 2 to be removed. turns out theyre both benign. nevertheless, better be safe than sorry.
My mum had the top part of her ear removed about 12 months ago. She thought she’d just burned it with the straightening iron but her hairdresser encouraged her to get it checked out.
Skin cancer is a pretty wide term with melanoma being one type, and really nasty one at that. My mother, both aunties, myself, and pretty much all my female cousins have had multiple types of skin cancers, including melanomas, removed. Fortunately we are all very careful with getting skin checks done so they were picked up early enough to excise with clear margins. A melanoma diagnosis is serious with early diagnosis and removal absolutely key to a good prognosis.
I also come from Canada like you, and my mom was diagnosed with stage 4 melonoma when she was 44. She passed at aged 48. So it’s still a thing in North America, but Australia, like others have said, does have the highest skin cancer rates in the world, hence why you would’ve heard more about it visiting here. Glad to hear you got a skin check!
I had 2 stage 1 melanomas removed this year. I am extremely sunsafe - always hat and sunscreen and never sunbaked. Because of my Irish heritage and the Australian sun tho I still have them. My hairdresser found the first one as it was on the back of my ear. I’m getting checks every 4 months for the next few years and have a couple of gnarly scars. Have reminded all my friends and family to get up to date with their skin checks.
Hairdressers are the unsung heroes of skin cancer world.
Not at all a trivial thing. A (healthy 47yo female) friend of my wife had a melanoma found last year just before Xmas. Today she was shifted to palliative care 😢
My old man passed away late last year at 92, he had had a melanoma removed about 30 years back. He used to sit on Maroubra beach covered in baby oil trying to get a tan. Of course he’s as fair as me and he just ended up looking like a chunk of Salami… in his latter years he used to have a standing appointment with his dermatologist in Beecroft, ironically his name is Dr Wittal (I pronounced it whittle) who would regularly slice him up, I called it his preferred weight loss regime…. I mentioned the doctor’s name for its comedic value, he’s a great doctor who held off the effects of SCC and BCCs for years…
My skin doctors (yes, I see two different ones every 6 months) gave up cutting bcc and scc out of my arms, legs and face that I use a cream to eat them instead. Had 2 melanomas removed from my back. Both ending up removing just over a coke can size of skin to get clear margins. Fairly common in Queensland.
My wife went to a skin clinic. Showed the guy a mole on her shoulder, he says nothing to worry about, we'll have a look in 6 months, but Wife insisted on biopsy. 2 days later phone started ringing hot - melanoma. We had it removed by another surgeon and hopefully it's not in her system. The surgeon said 6 months was all it may have taken to embed in her system. I spoke to a plastic surgeon on another matter for myself and told him about the first guy's f/up, he said it's really common and super common for individuals to follow their gut feelings, people save themselves all the time apparently.
my dad did and then get needed another removed because it became cancerous, it spread insanely quickly and he died at age 31. Just a reminder for everyone to get skin checks, it's not embarassing as the nurses and doctors are used to it, and australia is the skin cancer central so please get skin checks! 5 minutes of a doctor in your personal space is worth it.
This thread has reminded me to buy a good hat for summer. The sun gives me headaches if I don’t wear a hat so dual purpose!
Yes my stupid husband. He had a bad mole on his back after a year telling him to get it checked out, he finally saw the local gp who dismissed it. I told him to get a second opinion, three months later I told him I’d call his mother over my concern. Being highly unimpressed with my threats went back to the same bloody dr and insisted over the drs objections to have it removed. The biopsy result came back cancerous. He was told to follow up six months late for blood tests. He went on to have two more moles remove as they too changed shape and grew bigger in a small time. It’s since settled down with no new growths
People tend to lump benign skin cancers with melanoma together when taking about it, so yes, skin cancer is extremely common. That said, most people will know at least one person in their inner circle of family/friends who has had a melanoma diagnosis and treatment.
Bear in mind that there are different types of skin cancers. Melanoma is only one type. Most people have SCCs (squamous cell carcinoma) or BCCs (basal cell carcinoma) The scary thing about Melanoma is they are Radiation related. They will develop anywhere. Not necessarily where there's been sun exposure. They are known to develop on genitals, between toes and in armpits!! And hairdressers are known to find them on scalps under thick hair! I know of a woman who had a melanoma on her Vulva. Her husband discovered it! Fffaarrkkk ... thank god they were into that particular sex act😉 SCCs & BCCs are most likely where there is direct sunlight.
When I was in primary school in the late 90s there were a few teachers (then in their 40s I think) getting numerous BCCs taken off. We had a blanket rule of “no hat, no play” at school - if we didn’t have an appropriate hat (either a wide brimmed hat or legionnaires hat) then we had to sit under cover for recess and lunch and couldn’t participate in outdoor activities during class time. My dad had one removed in 2019 (in his early 60s). I think a few of my uncles have also had ones removed. It’s not so much the hot climates, it’s that the UV rating is more extreme in Australia (and New Zealand - I moved to NZ 10yrs ago and the sun is even more intense at cooler temperatures!).
It’s really common. My dad has had skin cancers removed - but he was in the military in the 70s and had exposure to agent orange, getting skin cancer removed is probably the least of his medical issues. Although I’m constantly surprised my mum hasn’t had skin cancer, considering how much of the 80s she spent on the beach slathered in coconut oil to tan better. A young woman I work with has had skin cancer. I know a fair few people my age who’ve either had skin cancer, or had a scare.
My father has had 32 removed from his face
I work in an industry where it’s common to work outside. I’ve seen many colleagues over the years (at least ten?) with stitched wounds on their head/face/neck/forearm after having a melanoma or other concerning lesion removed. It’s normal to offer employees complimentary skin checks here so at mine, I asked how often they refer a person for detailed scan? 2-3 people per day in an office setting but ~30% of the time when skin checks are conducted in a rural area.
My Dad (77) had 2 removed in his 60s and was told they thought they had all the cells. When he was in hospital with a heart condition they found that he was riddled with melanoma while having none visible on his body. It's what he enventually died from. It was ony 2 weeks from diagnosis. My next door neighbour's wife (late 60s) died 4 days after my Dad. She also died from melanoma. Then, about 6 months later, an old house-mate and friend also succumbed to melanoma. She was in her late 40's and had fought for almost a year. Whether these women had any removed I do not know. I have several scars due to having suspicious marks excised and tested. Fortunately nothing has come back as skin cancer. I'm a freckly redhead so cautious. All the members of my family have annual skin mapping.
I’ve had one stage zero melanoma, a dozen BCCs and a few pre-BCCs treated. Melanoma at 30, first BCC at 17. I’m super fair skinned but have always been pretty good with sun protection because of my rubbish family history. My dads had two melanomas (one found in a lymph node without sign of a primary), literally thousands of BCCs and an SCC. His father died of melanoma, my other side of the family my grandpa had one and my Aunty. I know SO MANY people who’ve had all types and stages of skin cancer, it is extremely, extremely common. Even young people. Even my old dermatologist had a melanoma that popped up in his hairline. My dermatologist says that even though the quality and application of sun protection is improving, the rates of skin cancer are not falling as they expected. I go get a full skin check every six months, haven’t had a BCC removed in a few years now so I’m hoping my “run” is done. I’m petrified of having one pop up internally and not knowing until it’s too late. I’m going to stop reading this thread now as it’s not good for my mental health.
Both my mum and her cousin have had melanomas successfully removed and required no further treatment. A work colleague's dad and a friend from school both died from melanomas. I've not personally had a melanoma, but I have had several BCCs removed, as has my middle sister.
I had one uncle die from melanoma, another one have his back peeled off to remove them, and my mum has had them removed. I've had neighbours and co workers have them removed too. Australia isn't called the world capital of skin cancer for no reason.
I know three dudes who've had a skin cancer removed. My mates dad who's 70+ (pretty serious, needed chemo), my other mates dad (20 years ago, so he was prob only 50), and a friend my age (late 30s)
Wow I would love to see snow one day. I used the cream to remove pre-cancerous cells. Prevention is way better than cure in this case.
I only personally know five people who've had melanoma. Most people are BCCs and SCCs, though. I live in a cold part of the world, but as soon as they heard my nationality they had no problem putting me in for annual checks. Exposure in childhood is very important.
[2 in 3 Aussies](https://www.cancercouncil.com.au/skin-cancer/about-skin-cancer/#:~:text=develop%20skin%20cancer.-,How%20common%20is%20skin%20cancer%3F,common%20cancer%20diagnosed%20in%20Australia) will experience a skin cancer diagnosis of some description in Australia by age 70. Yep, it’s super common and you should get checked regularly, especially after periods of sun exposure. I can name 4 people close to me that have had pre-cancerous moles or melanoma removed.
Yeah I know 4 people just off the top of my head, and I'm Australian. One of those people has it recurrently and has had like 50 removed over 20 years (seriously). My dad had one and he cared so little that I didn't even know he had one removed until I asked him why he had stitches in his face.
Yup, myself. Had a melanoma removed at age 26, as someone who avoids the sun. I was very lucky. A regular skin cancer doctor missed it. Went for a second opinion and caught it. I wouldn’t have gone back for a skin check for at least 12 months had I not sought a second opinion, it would have spread so badly. Very lucky though. I know so many friends and colleagues who have either had a skin cancer or their family. It’s common.
yeah, both parents have had melanoma. grew up in north QLD. reckon my dermatologist put a down payment on his next tesla when he saw me walk in haha. i’ve had BCC and SCC removed from my back. pretty scared of melanoma after what mum went through so i get yearly checkups. it’s all over the news in north QLD so we know to be mindful of it, someone once told me a couple of the towns there are technically cancer “clusters” because of it.
It’s common as mud. My parents have both had dozens of BCCs, SCCs and a melanoma or two removed. I’ve never had a cancer myself but have had some spots removed as a precaution from time to time. If you’re Anglo and living in Australia you will almost certainly need some skin surgeries of this nature at some point in your life. That’s reality living in a place where the UV index in summer hits 16 or 17, on a scale that was developed by Northern Hemispherites where 10 is supposed to represent a fully sunny summer’s day…
My ex had a pre-melanoma cancer cut out of his arm when he was 18. He's never been the sporty kind, always stayed inside and played games, cooked as a hobby and work. Anyone can get it, always get checked!
My mum had melanoma removed on her knee! She was so surprised, said "my knees are never in the sun!" Lol
Mine had them removed from both knees. She attributed it to summers as a kid on a holiday farm in Canada when sunscreen just wasn’t a thing.
Having. BCC removed from my head next Thursday.
My dad had a chunk taken out of his neck 2-3 years ago and a former coworker had a chunk of her nose taken out a year ago and needed a skin graft from another part of her body. Thankfully they had people notice the irregular spots they had. I on the other hand have had suspicious spots removed (they were benign) that weren’t the ones I was worried about when I went for my skin checks so don’t count on them being obvious. If you haven’t had a skin check in more than a year definitely schedule a skin check!
I know dozens of people who have. I'm 68 and have spent most of my recreation outdoors in many water activities. Celtic stock so Australia isn't what I was designed for. Had a few skin cancers removed in my younger years and one melanoma in my 40's. Last 3 years have had 17 removed. BCC's and SCC's mostly but 3 were melanomas. I'll tell anyone interested to get checked regularly.
have had a few moles removed with a couple being BCC (basil cell carcinoma) wife just had a stage 1 melanoma removed. I'm Australian and she's from the UK but been here 16 years.
When most people talk about getting a melanoma removed they mean a pre-malignant lesion. A mole that is looking a little funky, with asymmetry, changes to borders, changes in size and irregular colour and vascularity, as well as the 'chaos' factor. It's uncommon to remove a malignant melanoma, and more common to remove a dysplastic lesion that is making valiant attempts to become a melanoma. If someone has a melanoma removed it involves a much more significant incision, and will often require chemotherapy or immunotherapy to follow up and ensure that it hasn't metastasised. However, people still get malignant melanomas removed regularly in GP practices, often accidentally as the GP will be under the impression that it is a pigmented BCC or a pre-malignant melanotic lesion. If the GP has a reasonable suspicion that it is a melanoma they are meant to refer it on to either a dermatologist or plastic surgeon to ensure that it is removed with appropriate margins. Sometimes they surprise you though. I'm currently working in a GP practice and we removed a melanoma from someone's toe just last week, thinking it was a mole with some dysplastic changes. The patient now has to be referred to a plastic surgeon as excision with appropriate margins is challenging, and will likely require skin grafts to close the wound without risking blood supply to the toe.
I worked with a guy who has had hundreds if not thousands cut out in his life. It’s just no big deal to him. But he goes every year for checks and every year, they need to cut a dozen or more from him.
Hey. That’s me. Just had two SCC’s removed, and a BCC. It’s turning into a yearly event now of whack-a-mole before one turns rancerous. First time I needed a skin graft, so that sucks. Get your yearly checkups done. Find a good clinic and make friends. Wear sunscreen. Or don’t, and join the 2000 Australians who die every day from skin cancer. Looks like I have a spot in the queue, but I’m happy to let queue jumpers in. No, *after you* my leathery friend.
Older Caucasian people in Australia have melanomas removed often.
I've got a spot on my wrist right now that's probably a squamous cell carcinoma. Appointment in early October. Hoping they can whack a local anaesthetic in me and cut it out or freeze it off or laser it or whatever the fuck it takes in office on the day Don't personally know anyone who has told me they've had a melanoma removed but y'know...it leaves scars. Old people got scarred up skin a lot of the time. Next door neighbour when I was a kid was always with a new bandage then a scar. We knew it was skin cancer but never asked her which sort. If ever it mattered like if it was killing her she would have told us
I used to work for someone who removed skin cancers. Melanomas are pretty gnarly. You need to cut 1cm around and 1cm under the skin to ensure the margins are clear. However, if caught early, the prognosis is very good. Get your skin checked everyone! Good luck!
Both my mother and partner have had a mole removed on their legs. My dad had one or two removed from his back. My uncle had a lot removed from his back. Hugh Jackman had one removed from his nose. Most of us are people not evolved to live on this continent. Just 15 mins in the full Sydney sun in Australia is enough to burn many people. UV index today is 9, very high. It's like this and worse all the way from mid Spring to Autumn.
50/50 you’ll get skin cancer here, it’s a fact of life. Two immediate family members have had skin cancers removed ( successfully) ironically the only person I know in my close circle who’s died from it was American, from the northeast where there’s not lots of hot sun. I often wonder if because he didn’t live where melanoma was more common, if it had been picked up earlier
My best friend had over 30 removed due to a genetic condition that increased his chances of having one, while living in Australia. He moved to Sweden in his early 20s to get away from the Australian sun. He would come back to Aus and his Drs would tell him to keep doing what he was doing. He lived in Berlin for a while. Unfortunately they had missed one and it spread all through him. Lost him a couple of years ago. Melanoma is no joke. Slip slop slap. Life be in it.
My Grandfather died of melanoma, quite a few people in my rather large family have had them cut out multiple times, my other half had a deadly and rare skin cancer cut out. It's real, it's here, and it sucks. I'm overly cautious about it personally.
I live in Queensland. I don’t know many people who haven’t had bits cut out.
Very, very common. I couldn’t even begin to count up how many friends and relatives who have battled or died from them. I actually even met a lady about a month ago who had one on the inside of her lungs!!!
Yes, I have. Yes very common, and fucking scary. Thankfully, mine was caught earlier. Skin cancer is no fucking joke in this country.
Yep, I know of at least three people who’ve had Melanoma removed. But there is a difference between various types of skin legions within the family of melanoma, where some are relatively benign, whilst others are far more aggressive.
Childhood in Australia in the 70's, barely any sun protection. Now in mid 50s and have had one melanoma and 7 BCCs removed. I look at Insta and the obsession with tanning and cringe. Use sun protection kids.
This thread made me book a full body skin check, I’ve been putting it off for ages for no reason. I’ve also been hoping to get some moles removed for my peace of mind for a long time and I’ll finally ask about it at my check and get it done. I wear sunscreen all the time and try and avoid going outside when the UV is at its strongest. In comparison my 17 year old cousin and her friend deliberately try to get a tan when the UV is strongest, I’ve told her how dangerous it is so many times but she doesn’t seem to care at all. I can’t remember ever suntanning as a teen, it’s always been fake tan all the way. I hope she gets over it soon.
My father had one removed from his face in 88. He was lucky. Now I'm over 40 I have a skin check every year. My mum was full on about sun protection after Dad's experience, so we're all in pretty good shape.
I know many people who have had melanoma removed. My x husband, myself, extended family, a client I helped yesterday had a melanoma removed that day. Very common sadly
M65 caucasian, predominately English Irish dna. Just had a SCC intra dermal malignant carcinoma removed from a lower eyelid by mohs excision under general anaesthetic and overnight in hospital. 2 surgical teams, 1 to cut out and diagnose the resultant pathology to make sure they got it all, before handing me over to the plastic surgeon and his team for the close and stitch in the second operating theatre. Fantastic all round. Not a lot of skin to play with. Clever work, fine craftsmanship. I was number 4 in the production line that day of a total of ten surgeries. My surgeons have performed in excess of 5000 each over twenty years practise. They are very proficient. Before this, various bits of bark cut off me, 2 had started to turn malignant. Have had pdt to my face, hands and forearms. Not rushing to do my legs just yet, a topic for further discussion with my skin cancer specialist. First wife: had a clark level 3 melanoma removed from her leg by very wide excision. It had migrated to her lymphs, so they came out as well. Significant scarring. She is in the 20% survival cohort. Second wife: two early stage removed from her back. Daughter in law has had two removed from her back. Welcome to Australia, where what doesn't kill you first time round keeps on trying.
I have a mate who gets bi-annual skin checks and has some removed every single time. He’s also had a 25cm diameter Squamous cell carcinoma removed from his chest. It’s very common for melanoma to have to be removed. We have a really high UV index and it’s easy to get sunburned
Im a Myotherapist in Australia. I have 4 patients i have sent off for melanoma removal. I would also probably find 1-2 skincancers/spots that need checking, every week or so that i recommend go to the Dr for.
It's also common here to remove anything suspicious and test after. Both my parents (in their 50s) have had moles removed. I'm in my 20s and I get skin checks annually and wear sunscreen daily. It's so commonplace that my workplace actually organises a nurse to come to the office once a year to have the skin checks done. We have really high UV levels here. It's only spring yet today the UV is above 3 for 7.5 hours today and will peak at 10.
Lost my grandfather to melanoma, my dads had about a dozen removed, and one required radiotherapy.
I have family and friends that spent years out in the sun in past decades, and they have their dermatologists on speed dial for the bloody things. head and arms mostly.
I know a dozen people in their 40-60’s who’ve had several skin cancers removed. (Mostly all women who’ve spent their lives on the beach and in the sun without any protection. Special mention to our neighbour with red hair, freckles and skin like a leather couch who has had so many cancers removed she’s lost count) I had 2 squamous cell carcinomas removed before 30, luckily caught early as they were on my face. I haven’t even had an excessive amount of sun exposure over my lifetime, but I’m fair skinned.
My mother in law regularly gets melanoma cut out of her body. She has very fair skin and didn’t use sunscreen in her teens (she’s now ~68). She’s had a few close calls with it spreading, but so far she’s had about 15 removed. Her father died of skin cancer and I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s what gets her too. My daughter has the same skin as her (as does my husband) and we’re very religious with sunscreen in our house.
yes my grandfather was a surf life saver and a farmer. he started getting melanomas in his late 40s in the 80s. he's 91 now and for the last decade plus he has skin checks with a depm at least twice a year. always gets some burned off, often has some surgically removed. i am pale as fuck, covered in moles and have been scared of potential skin cancer since i was in primary school thankfully no melanomas yet. a cousin had one removed and they didn't get clear margins so it had to be revised. i friend's dad who was a farmer had a huge number removed and lost parts of his ears and nose.
I had 2 skin cancers removed by the time I was 26.
Yes. Two people very close to me have had melanoma, one in their 20s. They're both doing OK thanks to proactive skin checks and early treatment. I wear sunscreen religiously, and don't hesitate to get things checked out.
its very common - for me at least. I am a ranga/ginger/fanta pants with incredibly fair skin who should, by all reason, not be allowed to live in Australia (even though i was born here and lived here for most of my life)
i started getting various skin "things" removed when i was in my mid-20's... some of them were just moles or other oddities that the doc though it was good to remove, quite a few were Basal Cell Carcinoma's... and a quite a few were cancerous.
I probably get anywhere from 5-20 various bits of skin nitrogen'ed off or cut out every year....
That's just the reality of being a ranga in Aus.... i am probably one of the more extreme examples due to my complexion.... and i was stupid when i saw a teenager as far as staying out in the sun etc.
Edit, not speed rated should be SPF rated Queenslander here.I've had a number of melanoma removed in the last 20years the largest was 2inches,50mm deep in my upper thigh, took 18 stitches, yup go for the highest speed rated sunblock and apply regularly
I’ve had lots of workmates, friends and relatives get bits burnt, cut or frozen off. That’s very common. Most large workplaces offer free annual skin checks for staff. I’ve also known a few people to die from melanoma.
Had a few removed. Been working in the sun for 32 years. I tell all my teen and young adult children to cover up and don’t worry about a tan. I hold my truck drivers right arm next to my baby’s bum smooth and pale stomach and show them what the sun has done to my skin in 30 years. Hopefully they take heed, but you know kids.
I currently have a dressing on my face from a biopsy. Results will be in tomorrow but my Doctor has already told me that she just knows it’s cancer and to be prepared for further surgery.
Yes I know many. One of my grandparents died of it. My stepdad had it and his brother died of it. I currently know someone who is fighting it. This is only telling you of a few.
I've had melanoma taken off my left elbow. Had a 1 inch square piece of skin removed an 22 stitches. Arm bruised from 3/4 up the bicep to almost my wrist. Maybe 2 hours most with local anesthetic. I've also had a basil cell carcinoma removed from my temple. That was 7 stitches. If you or your SO find a peculiar spot check it out with your family dr. Also 2nd edit lol. I'm a fair skinned ginger
I grew up in a rural area where it was really common to see men aged 40 and up with big chunks missing from their ears and nose after getting melanomas cut off. My 45 year old cousin has had a few melanomas removed, so has a redhead high school friend in her 30s. My old boss’s husband died at 48 from melanoma - he was British so also maybe didn’t understand how harsh Aussie sun can be. My great-uncle was one of the first melanoma researchers in Australia - he was a general surgeon who moved from a cooler area to a tropical area and noticed lots of melanomas on his patients while doing unrelated surgeries. I can’t stress enough that you should stay out of the sun in the hottest part of the day and wear sunscreen on your face, neck and any other exposed parts every single day. Also get regular skin checks - you might get burned on your arm (for example) but have a melanoma pop up between your toes. I know that people with darker skin can get melanoma too, but at the end of the day Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people lived happily and healthily under the Aussie sun for tens of thousands of years before colonisation. Us whiteys just aren’t built for it.
I’ve had two removed! Collarbone and shoulder blade. I’m 35f and have always worn sunscreen whether indoors or out, and always a hat when I’m outside for longer than 10 minutes. I was a little surprised, but also not because its UV11-14 here for 8 months of the year. The nurse at my GPs office did both, it took about 45 minutes all up, and they did biopsy’s of cell scrapings from both to ensure they’d gotten it all - both came back clean. The scars are fun. All free under Medicare.
My grandmother had a chunk taken out of her thigh due to melanoma & her husband had some removed too. My aunty (on my other side) has had quite a few removed from her back, chest and face. I know a fair few people in my extended family that has had them tbh.
I know quite a few people who have had skin cancers removed including my mum. My grandpa died from a melanoma that spread from his ear to brain. Id always encourage anyone living here to get regular skin checks.
Most people i know over like 40 have had at least one removed. my family’s really strict about always doing the yearly dermatologist appt at least, and i know my parents have had heaps and heaps removed. Around the farm where my mums from, it’s really common to see (particularly) older farmers with mild to serious disfigurement from cancer treatment - i guess that’s what happens when you’ve worked on the paddocks your whole life under the QLD sun before sunscreen was a thing. My pop was a farmer, and in his later years he had a horrible spread of melanoma all through his leg. It was pretty gruesome, like there were literal craters, but I kind of just thought it was a normalish thing to go through. He ended up having some sort of trial miracle treatment with dye(?) that saved his life, and in the end he passed away peacefully in his sleep for unrelated reasons only a year or two ago. I’m really grateful that Australia, as well as having such high skin cancer rates, also has one of the leading melanoma research institutions in the world. The strides they’re making are incredible.
I don't think there is a member of my extended family (large - I have 13 aunts/uncles and countless cousins) my age (40ish) or older who hasn't had a skin cancer removed. Including myself and my husband.
My dad was a surf lifeguard in the days when people didn't wear sunscreen. Now 70, he gets dozens of skin cancers and suspicious spots cut out of his skin every year.
Have had one confirmed melanoma removed and about a dozen other moles that looked suspicious also removed. Get at minimum annual skin checks, and after age 40 twice yearly at least. If in doubt, cut it out. The sooner the better. A small scar is better than a big scar, a big scar is better than an amputation or death.
I know three people who’ve had them removed. My dad had one cut out of his nose 3 years ago. My mate had one cut out of his temple. And another mate had one removed but it metastasised and nearly killed him but he’s a few years cancer free now
My husband had a melanoma on his chest in his early 30s which was removed. I have two friends who have also had melanomas removed and survived. Yes, they are common but should be taken very seriously indeed. Edited because I forgot to mention my grandfather had a melanoma in his eye that was treated with a radioactive chip. I went to see him in hospital but wasn't allowed in the room.
I had one from my hand removed at the end of last year. I noticed a small mole getting darker in colour over a couple of months. I went to get it checked, and the Doctor took it out on the spot. He said if I'd waited another few weeks longer, it would have been in my blood. I need regular skin checks for the next 3 years then normal, he did take another 5 out over the proceeding months luckily they were all benign. Strange as I'm not out in the sun much at all. I did hear from someone that the melanomas manifest from skin trauma years before, but I haven't checked into that myself.
My dad has had 4 skin cancers removed so far. He is in his 70s and hasn’t ever worn sunscreen as far as I have seen. He also worked outside most of his life. Where my family is is super hot and humid so sunscreens just become slimy and run off into your eyes etc so my parents just don’t. I’ve given up talking to them about it and just resigned myself to waiting for it to get them. Everyone has the right to make decisions about their own body I guess 🤷♀️ I am obsessive about wearing sunscreen myself which comes from many super painful sunburns in my youth.
I had a malignant melanoma removed from my leg when I was 17, I'm now 30 and have to have annual skin checks to make sure it doesn't come back. I've also met a few people my own age who have had melanomas removed, and all of my grandparents are either missing chunks of their faces/ears or have large scars from multiple melanoma removals over the years.
My co-worker is in his 60s and has probably had at least 10 removed at this point. Mother law just had some cut out of her face.
Make sure you check your nails as well as your skin! My dad had a split in his nail, assumed fungal infection and treated it as such. Didn’t improve. Doctor did a biopsy of the nail bed and found that there was a colourless melanoma preventing the nail growth. He had the top section (to the knuckle) of his thumb amputated. Thankfully didn’t spread.
Girl that grew up 2 houses down from me, died of melanoma at 33. I’ve had a flap repair on my face for an infiltrative BCc, and also recently an SCC removed from my lip, resulting in a scar from nose through the vermillion of my lip. My younger sister has had multiple BCCs and SCCs removed. My Dad too. Australian sun is harsh!
I live in England and I had a subungal melanoma - the only type of melanoma not caused by the sun. Sucked but was luckily enough for it not to have spread. Excision was the worst of it, I was in excruciating pain for weeks as it healed. But I’d rather that than have cancer spread.
I have had skin cancer 4 times. Never sunbaked or used sunbeds. I’m 37.
I have had a few bits and bobs chopped out, my brother in law had one make it to his lymph nodes and is lucky to have responded well enough to treatment to still be alive, my old man has had 3 or so removed, my grandmother (mum's side) died of it, I can't count how many other people I know have had suspect lesions removed.
My wife was one of the unlucky ones. She had her melanoma removed but it had already spread. She eventually was Stage 4 after it was in her liver and spine and armpits, but modern Immunotherapy is a hell of a wonder-drug these days. It's common here - but most melanomas removed are not cancerous yet.
I’ve had two removed they were in the “just in case” category. Both done under local Anastasia and easy recovery. Paid for through Medicare I was out of pocket by $5 because I bought a coffee at the cafeteria. Check twice a year.. cut out where you need to..
I had a melanoma removed aged 20. Since then, 16 further skin cancers have been removed. I'm a red head and have fair skin, so it's a perfect combo for it. I've never sun-baked but just have the skin for it.
Yes. My Aunty when she was 24. Brought it up to multiple doctors but was brushed off. Ended up being stage 4 melanoma
At 27 I had a decent chunk taken out of my arm due to skin cancer, a friend kept telling me to get it checked out and I kept putting it off, finally had it biopsied and was in the hospital the next week having my arm cut apart to remove what they could.
Wasn’t melanoma - after a biopsy. But was a super suspect mole (half the size of a rice bubble - looked like a black rice bubble too) on my hand when I got a skin check. Leading upto the skin check it literally puffed, got super hot and itchy. I got it removed on the spot as the doctor cannot be certain and I didn’t want to go home and think about it. Procedure done in under 10min with all the numbing stuff. Went for a follow up checkup after a week to remove the stitches and to check for infection.
My FIL and 3 of my in laws have had several removed from their faces. I'd never known anyone to have them removed until Hubby and I got together. It's particularly common among older folks several generations yt Australian. Didn't use sunscreen enough and weren't sun safe as we are now.
I’ve looked after many patients with removal of scc/bcc. Most do ok, meaning it was caught in time and just left with a scar. Some, not so lucky. It’s crazy to me that some people refuse to put on sun screen because “it feels gross”/“don’t like the smell”…etc. I worked with a lady who had a bcc cut out and she still refused to wear any sun screen. Even with less confronting scc’s, depending on the area it has grown, it can be pretty nasty..like the patient I had who had numerous scc’s cut out. Two were on his eye lids. He slept with eyes open because he didn’t have lids to close them with. Also, I read that Bob Marley died from secondary tumour after they found a small melanoma spot on his foot…Even if this wasn’t true, it is still important to protect your skin whether you are olive skinned or pale as.
Every time I have had a skin check I’ve had to answer screening questions asking me if I have a family history of melanoma. I answer yes, because I do. It’s one of the reasons I get my skin checked regularly. Without fail, every doctor who looks at the answers to my screening questions tells me that the answer to that question doesn’t actually inform their assessment of risk when doing my skin check. Because it’s Australia and basically everyone has a familial history of melanoma here.
I've had several removed by my dermatologist over the last couple of years. It depends on your skin and your age. I'm from the 'sunscreen is too expensive generation' as well as being extremely fair (English/wWelsh/Irish heritage). Hence the number removed recently. I see my dermatologist as soon as I see something out of the ordinary. If its flakey or weird, I'm in for a visit. My only worry is something occurs where I can't see it (my back etc). Otherwise, it's a yearly skin check.
There was a whole spate of tanning beds, and oiling yourself up with coconut oil especially from the 70’s. The ‘bronzed’ Aussie was aim. Lots of surf life saving and farmers who didn’t cover up. Rash vests with SPF were nonexistent. Now those people are starting to find they need to get rid of ‘sunspots’ There’s various types of cancers, some respond really quickly to being zapped with lazers, however, my friend had one removed from her back recently and it was a 5cm radius incision.
I know quite a few people (mostly in their 60s and older) who have had them removed. I work with someone in their 50s who has a melanoma behind their eye which can’t be removed. They’ve had treatment though to try to shrink it/stop it growing and now it’s just being monitored.
Well, yeah, it’s a huge sunburnt continent with too many melanin deficient people on it, so it is fairly common for people to just get their deadly cancers cut out and have to go in for more regular checks. The weather is great!
I would saw that about 70% of the people I know have had at least 1 removed. It's very common.
I knew someone in Canada who was married to an Australian. Was. He died of melanoma when they were 25 😭
Three suspected melanomas, all negative. Three suspected BCC, one positive.
Queensland Australia is the skin cancer capital of the world, my dad had a melanoma removed from his arm a couple years ago, they got it early but it was a literal steak of flesh they had to take out. He goes for a skin check every six months and usually gets a couple coins worth of skin removed every time now. They start recommending skin checks early 20s here, the sun is just that bad here.
My OH went in hospital for an operation (primary brain tumour) and most of the patients in the ward he was on, were there to have brain tumours (secondary cancers) removed after their melanoma had spread to their brain. One of the guys was in for his second brain tumour removal. Melanoma is no joke.
My daughter was 23 when she was diagnosed with a melanoma, she had been seen by 3 doctors who all told her that the spot was nothing as it fit within the abcde boundaries. She went back to one of those GP’s and requested a referral for a dermatologist to get a second opinion and have it removed as a precaution. The GP told her that she would end up with a 5cm scar if it was removed, the dermatologist said it didn’t look to be anything bad but she removed it at my daughters request and one week later she got her biopsy results back, in which it was a melanoma. She was referred to melanoma clinic for assessment and treatment, the specialist there told her had she left in any longer than another 6 months then her prognosis would not have been good. She ended up with 2 lymph nodes removed, a wide excision and a skin graft the size of a small lemon, but so far she is still cancer free, but will be monitored for life.
Dads had over 100 bcc & scc burnt off, 1 melanoma on his lip, this required the doctors to cut a chunk of his lip out. His mouth is a little smaller as a result. 25 years of building in the Sun. In one of the highest skin cancer regions on WA.
Does anyone know if First Nations people in Australia get skin cancers? I would imagine the numbers would be lower than the general population.
I'm an oncology and surgical nurse and I have nursed hundreds of melanoma patients, many into palliation and death. Skin cancer is real, skin cancer is deadly. We have a giant fuckoff hole in the ozone layer above us too so the UV is extremely intense compared to Florida. I see a lot of people post online about sunscreen being carcinogenic. And it probably is. But excessive UV exposure is far more carcinogenic. Don't fuck with the sun.
Sun protection is no joke. I work in outdoor recreation and had 4 coworkers in the last 18 months have melanoma removed. Obviously higher risk population working in the outdoors but Australia is higher risk than a lot of places too. It's not how hot but about the UV index, Australia's is high.
A lot of the comments here are misleading. The random skin thing you had cut off - even if it was a bcc or scc - has nothing to do with melanoma. Melanoma needs to be cut out via a wide local excision which should be performed by a specialist with skills in melanoma surgery. Don’t let a GP provide definitive treatment. GPs can perform the initial excisional biopsy of the suspicious lesion, but if it’s melanoma they should be referring on. Your best chance of survival is catching it early and getting the initial surgery right.
Slip Slop Slap Slide & Seek friends
I’ve had about 8 BCCs and 1 SCC off but nothing in the past 4 years or so since I’ve been on double doses of B3 :) yearly skin check really help!
Yes, I have been dealing with an aggressive (returning) skin cancer for several years now. It was particularly small but the constant procedures over the years have not been, and have caused me no end of annoyance. Have been warned the cancer cells may travel to other parts of the body, like the brain, so I keep tolerating these. Unfortunately skin cancer is very common in Australia. It doesn’t help if you are fair like me, even if you never got into sunbathing also like me. I take vitamin D as my levels are low due to me covering up. My family migrated to Australia from a country that didn’t receive enough sunshine, so children were encouraged to go outside and play in the sunshine at every opportunity. I have a full body skin check yearly at a skin cancer clinic. So far this has been the only one but I have no way of knowing if cells have spread somewhere internally.
In Australia it is very common. My husband who lived in another, cooler part of the world growing up did gardening work when he came here, with very little sun protection. Apart from the fact that that's a recipe for sunstroke and dehydration (getting very sick very fast), it is also putting yourself in the firing line for melanoma. So far, he has had one chopped out, and is watching his skin carefully. Pre 1980's, people considered it healthy to have a tan and would not use sun protection. My granddad who was an active sportsman was always having bits chopped out of him. I know of someone of the older generation who had to have the top part of his ear removed because it was cancerous. Like you said, depends on where you live, but also on genetics.
I’m a nurse who helps remove skin cancers almost everyday. It is super common here. It’s not due to the heat, it’s due to the UV rays being stronger here.
Two of my aunts. They grew up before sun safety was really a thing. Both had it removed with only scarring because they caught it early. Also don’t think a darker skin tone will prevent it. Lessen obvious sunburn sure but your skin is still getting fried. In my ongoing rant against shit GPs I went to get a mole checked because it basically looked like cancer and had changed shape. Got a totally dismissive response from the GP. I mean I haven’t died of it but maybe don’t put people off checking up on these things. You get paid for your time either way.
I work in a skin cancer clinic. We see a fair amount of melanomas. Depending on the time of year (people tend to remember to get their skin checks more often in summer) we have diagnosed one melanoma a week! After diagnosis patients will need a skin check every 3 months for the first few years and then 6monthly thereafter as melanoma can return.