Cancer acclaim renews proactive summer campaigns

Whether it's due to the appearance of good health or the Western preference for golden skin, I'm not alone in thinking that a bronzed bod is more appealing than a pasty, pallid countenance.

But, like every other Aussie, who from a young age has been educated on the importance of the 'Slip, Slop, Slap' method, I know there is a lurking danger in having a year-round tan.

That danger - now at the forefront of Australian summer health warnings - is a vicious one; melanoma.

I have three scars from melanoma excisions - two of which were precautionary and the other - a rather large zipper on the top of my arm, was cancer.

My dad, who has worked beneath the relentless Queensland sun all of his life, has a large scar down the top of his back - the remnants of a spot that while small, could have taken his life when I was just one.

My aunts and uncles have had brushes with melanoma, and my grandfather lost part of his ear due to the skin cancer, which moved to his lymph nodes and left him in a world of hurt during Covid.

My partner has also had melanoma, and I regularly remind him to get screened and slap on some sun protection while out in the sun.

And while monitoring and early detection are paramount, they're not always infallible.

Like in my grandfather's case, it's simply not enough to excise and move on.

The wickedness of this cancer lies in its transient spread throughout the body - embedding itself in different locations and setting up home as a lecherous, growing seed, until (in many cases) the symptoms present themselves too late.

The message about the severity of skin cancer rang out once more on Australia Day, when Professor Georgina Long AO and Professor Richard Scolyer AO were named 2024 Australians of the Year for their work in skin cancer treatment.

The partnership between the co-medical directors of Melanoma Institute Australia has saved thousands of lives from the country's 'national cancer' - which just less than 10 years ago was a death sentence in advanced cases.

The couple have utilised an immunotherapy approach, which uses drugs to supercharge a patient's own immune system to destroy cancer cells - improving the advanced melanoma survival rate from less than 5 per cent a decade ago to more than 50 per cent today.

So far, the revolutionary treatment has improved the melanoma survival rate from less than five per cent to over 50 per cent.

Professor Scolyer himself is currently battling an incurable grade four brain cancer.

He became the world's first brain cancer patient to have pre-surgery combination immunotherapy, undertaking the experimental treatment at his own peril.

However, despite the risk of shortening his life with the world-first treatment, his bravery has advanced the understanding of cancer in leaps and bounds - benefiting future patients.

But as we live in sunny North Queensland, escaping the sun's rays is near impossible. It's a part of our culture; enjoying the great outdoors, and to not embrace the spectacular conditions and landscapes would be a crime.

Not to mention the importance of Vitamin D - which can be generated in the skin through sun exposure.

A journal article by Jonathan R Raymond-Lezman and Suzanne I Riskin in the National Library of Medicine states that "Vitamin D deficiency may have numerous deleterious effects on health" and that "sun avoidance strategies should be avoided due to the unwanted health risks associated with hypovitaminosis D".

While supplements can enhance Vitamin D production, there is no substitute for sun exposure.

The article states that while individuals with lighter skin can generate the same amount of Vitamin D in a quarter of a time as those with darker skin, they also have a higher risk of developing skin cancer.

"Clothing and UV avoidance also decrease vitamin D production," the article reads.

"A study conducted by Alagl et al. involved Turkish women who covered most of their bodies in clothing due to cultural tradition.

"The results showed a severe deficiency in vitamin D compared to women who were exposed to more of their skin."

So while the evidence is there, there is no easy win.

It's a matter of balance. Mindful sun exposure in moderation - adhering to old adage that too much of a good thing is a bad thing.

So while I finish this article and prepare myself for an afternoon outside on Australia Day, I don a cap, and let myself soak up some rays before taking heed of Sid the Seagull's sing-song campaign; 'Slip, slop slap'.