RECENT NEWS
Whats that streak on my nail?
There is a rare form of melanoma that affects the nail unit, and makes up only 1% of all cases of melanoma. It usually arises from a form of melanoma that is common of the palms and soles called acral lentiginous melanoma. It commonly appears as a dark band that is...
Not all Melanomas are brown or black, what other type of melanoma should you be on alert for?
Contrary to popular belief, not all melanomas are dark-coloured. There are several rarer forms of melanoma that can appear quite different to what most people imagine a melanoma would look like. Amelanotic Melanoma 3mm One type of rare melanoma is called amelanotic...
Vitamin D and Sun Exposure
Vitamin D is an important vitamin to maintain a strong skeletal system. It is produced naturally in the skin when it is exposed to UV light or can be consumed in some foods. For most people, there is enough incidental sun exposure throughout their day to produce...
What are UV rays and when are they at their worst?
We hear a lot of UV rays but what actually are they? UV stands for ultraviolet radiation. UV rays are a type of energy produced by the sun which is outside the wavelength of energies that we can see – similar to radio waves, x-ray waves or infrared waves which we are...
Do you know how to check for signs of skin cancer on yourself?
The sooner you discover and treat a skin cancer, the better chance you have of preventing the need for surgery as well as improving your chance of survival. It is important to become familiar with your skin so that you are able to recognise any changes, as skin...
The dangers of UV exposure for athletes
Did you know that athletes from a wide range of sports can exceed the ultraviolet exposure limit by up to almost eight times the recommended during the hotter months. Whilst regular physical activity is associated with reduced risk of almost all types of cancer, skin...
Scientists find some normal skin bacteria can help protect you from skin cancer
Did you know your body contains 10 times as many bacterial cells as it does human cells? In fact, there is around one million bacteria living on each square centimetre of your skin! Some bacteria that normally live on human skin has been discovered to produce a...
Does your skin type make you more at risk for skin cancer?
In 2010, almost 780,000 skin cancers were diagnosed and treated in Australia. 1 Invasive melanomasmake up a very small percentage of these, with the vast majority being nonmelanoma skin cancers inpeople aged over 60 years. 2 The Royal Australian College of General...
COVID-19 threatening the prevention and treatment of skin cancer
Despite bringing the world to a halt in 2020, COVID-19 has not altered skin cancer growth. Oneperson is diagnosed with skin cancer every half and hours in Australia. This creates an unfortunatecircumstance, as those most at risk of COVID-19 complications (i.e....
A vaccine against melanoma may be on the horizon
A small American clinical trial has found that a vaccine targeted against specific cancer cells has hadlong lasting beneficial effects in patients with a high risk of recurrence. The vaccine, known asNeoVax, is designed to target proteins on the tumour cells and is...