Informative statistics about melanoma in Australia

Melanoma occurs when unrepaired DNA damage to skin cells, caused mainly by intense, occasional UV exposure, triggers mutations that lead the skin cells to multiply rapidly and form malignant tumours (Source: Skin Cancer Foundation). Melanoma is the most dangerous form of skin cancer (Source: SunSmart).

Melanoma in Australia:

More than 12,500 new cases are diagnosed, each year in Australia.
One Australian will die every six hours from melanoma (1,500 per year)
Australia has the highest incidence of melanoma in the world.

Which age groups are most likely to be affected?

In 20–34 year-olds, melanoma kills more often than any other single cancer.
Melanoma is the most common cancer in Australians aged 15–39 years.
It is estimated that 1 in 17 Australians (5.5%) will be diagnosed with melanoma during their lifetime.
Younger people are now experiencing fewer melanomas than in previous generations, presumably because sun protection has greatly improved.
Melanoma makes up only 2.3% of all skin cancers but is responsible for 75% of skin cancer deaths. (Source: Skin & Cancer Foundation Inc., Cancer Council)

If melanoma is detected early, it is almost always curable. Remember to check your skin every month and go to your Doctor immediately if you notice changes. Dermatologists and medical doctors recommend wearing SOLBARI UPF50+ sun protective clothing, UV resistant swimwear and sun hats for outdoor activities to help maintain a healthy and skin safe in the sun.

Contact us if you would like more information about our sun protective products. You can email us at info@solbari.com

The SOLBARI Team
This blog post is for information purposes only.

Also in Solbari Blog

Can skin damage caused by the sun be repaired or even reversed?

Your skin is your largest organ and has a long memory. Sun exposure and ultraviolet (UV) damage is cumulative throughout your life. Research shows that sun damage contributes to more than 90% of wrinkles, brown spots, premature skin aging as well as precancerous and cancerous skin lesions.

Limiting sun exposure is very important. As the UV rays cause the most damage to the skin.

It often takes many years and sometimes decades for the effects to become visible.

But the good news is that taking care of your skin from now onwards may be able to help you to reduce the probability of skin cancers and minimise skin aging.

We've got you covered series with Dr. Anita Lasocki

Australian dermatologist Dr Lasocki joins us for our "We've got you covered" series to share her perspective and recommendations relating to skin cancer prevention and sun safety.

Your Story Series: Meet Andrew

I'm big advocate for sun safety, so I'm very proactive with looking after my skin. I'm always pushing my friends and family to be more sun safe, I think most know the effects of the sun, but not to the extent they should. Most don't seem to understand the UV index, and how quickly you can get burnt in the middle of the day. There's still a long way to go for sun safety education!