Skin Cancer
Australia has one of the highest rates of melanoma in the world.
Australia has one of the highest rates of melanoma in the world, and melanoma is often referred to as 'Australia's national cancer'. There are three main types of skin cancer: Melanoma, Squamous Cell Cancer and Basal Cell Cancer.
Skin Cancer Types:
Melanoma
Melanoma is the third most common cancer in Australian men, after prostate and colorectal cancer. It is the third most common cancer in Australian women, after breast and colorectal cancer, and the most common cancer affecting 15 to 39-year-old Australians.
Since 2010 there has been a gradual decrease in deaths in Australia, but not in any other country. This decrease may be due to the increased training in detecting and treating melanoma.
Squamous Cell Cancer - SCC
This type of skin cancer is caused by many years of ultraviolet radiation from the sun, and mainly affects older patients and heavily sun-exposed areas of the body. Although less aggressive than melanoma, it can spread to the lymph nodes and result in death.
SCCs often present as a tender pink nodule with a scaly surface and may grow rapidly. When SCCs present on the ears or lower lip, they can be more aggressive.
Basal Cell Cancer - BCC
Basal Cell Cancer (BCC) is the most common type of skin cancer and makes up 70% of skin cancers. In fact, 2 in 3 Australians will be diagnosed with skin cancer before the age of 70!
BCC may appear as a pink area on the skin which bleeds when touched or seems to heal then reappear. Sometimes it may look like a scaly pink patch, sometimes a lump on the skin and occasionally a pale, shiny area. It can reach a large size and invade deeply before detected and is often not discovered until it has been present for many months.
Fortunately, BCCs only spread to the lymph nodes very rarely, but they can cause extensive disease and destruction, causing disfigurement if not detected early.