Skin Cancer - QLD Summer’s Silent Killer

Compared to 2014, melanoma related death rates have climbed 34% and continues to claim the highest rate in Australia, a nation that already ranks second in the world.

The state’s scorching summers are partly to blame for 2.1 million Queenslanders reporting sunburn in the past year, the direct cause of 95-99% of all skin cancers.

Queensland’s 18-24-year-olds lead the state with 78.7% reporting sunburn in the past year.

Just in Queensland alone, the ultimately preventable cancer costs taxpayers $2.8 billion each year for Medicare funded treatments and $9.38 billion nationally.

Danger Sun Overhead Program Manager, Jo Crotty said it was disappointing that such a big issue is largely being ignored by so many Queenslanders.

“Everyone is more than aware of the dangers of things like smoking and binge drinking, but often the dangers of the sun go ignored,” Mrs Crotty said.

“These statistics raise the important question of spending on prevention vs treatment for this preventable form of cancer.

“Skin cancer research and education has come a long way in the past decades, but what is disappointing is that new generations still aren’t learning from the mistakes we used to make,” she said.

Jo lost her husband, Rohan Crotty, to his battle with melanoma in July 2009 at the age of 43, leaving four of her boys all under the age of six without a father.

Simple measures such as the daily use of sunscreen could reduce the risk of melanoma by 75%.

All facts and figures used has been sourced directly from Queensland Health’s Chief Health Officer Report for 2016.

Danger Sun Overhead is an education program for outdoor industries, corporate work places, schools and sporting clubs to promote the prevention, awareness and early detection of skin cancers. Danger Sun Overhead is a program run exclusively through the Karlee Adams Foundation.

ENDS

For further questions or any further inquiries please contact: Mitchell Symonds Danger Sun Overhead – Marketing and Communications Co-Ordinator marketing@dangersunoverhead.org.au or 0478 033 438

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