Australian cricket legend Steve Waugh is spearheading a sun awareness campaign this month, urging the community of Springwood to check for unusual spots in the lead up to summer.
A Sun Awareness Clinic - Skin Cancer SpotCheck will be held at Blooms The Chemist, Springwood on Monday, November 17 aimed at increasing public awareness of the dangers of skin cancer and reinforcing the importance of early detection.
According to Steve Waugh, The Skin Cancer SpotChecks are designed to help people understand how to detect early skin cancer signs in order to help save lives.
"Our lifestyle is suited to the outdoors - with beaches, sport, getting out in the fresh air and being exposed to the elements.
"Given Australia has the world's highest skin cancer rates,1 if you're not educated, you're at risk of the dangers of skin cancer," he said.
The past decade has shown NSW men are 1.6 times more likely to be diagnosed with melanoma than NSW women. The most recent statistics reveal more than 3700 melanoma diagnoses in NSW in the one year.
Between 95-to-99 per cent of skin cancers result from sun exposure and while melanoma is the least common type of skin cancer, it is the most dangerous. More than 12,500 Australians are diagnosed with melanoma and more than 1500 Australians die from the disease each year.
As a cricketer consistently exposed to sun's harsh UV rays, Waugh has sustained skin damage to his temples, back and shoulders, and both he and his wife Lynette have had their suspicious spots checked and some removed.
"I have regular skin checks and a couple of times have had to send skin samples away for examination," he said.
Pharmacist at Blooms The Chemist, Springwood, Peter Roberts, said the Sun Awareness Clinic - Skin Cancer SpotCheck helps to generate awareness and understanding of the importance of detecting skin changes and helps drive people to doctors.
"We're looking to screen people who wouldn't ordinarily see a doctor. The Skin Cancer SpotCheck allows individuals to visit a pharmacy and receive a valuable, skin cancer spot-check that could ultimately save their lives," he said.
"People respond very well to awareness clinics in a pharmacy setting and we've found they're quite successful in educating the community... Our Blooms The Chemist, Springwood Sun Awareness Clinic has pharmacists on hand who will refer any suspected cases that require urgent attention to a medical expert."
The Blooms The Chemist Skin Cancer SpotCheck involves evaluating an individual's risk of skin cancer, using a unique UV camera to identify any existing damage in the lower layers of skin, and an early detection tool that allows the user to perform a head-to-toe examination to identify new moles or spots, or changes to existing moles and spots.
The Skin Cancer SpotChecks will be run from 10am and 3pm.
