A woman who never thought she would get a melanoma at her age is urging the community to inspect their bodies for skin cancer.
Sharyl Brockett, a Social Worker at Bass Coast Health (BCH), endured two surgeries in 2019 to remove a deep melanoma from her face after presenting to her General Practitioner with concerns about what she thought was just a bruise near her eye.
Her plea comes this Check for Spots Day on January 30, driven by The Alfred Hospital, in memory of 25-year-old Morgan Mansell, who sadly lost her life after a short battle with the mostly preventable disease.
Established by Morgan's parents Peter and Julie, Check for Spots Day is held annually on January 30 to coincide with Morgan's birthday and the end of the summer holidays.
People are asked to look out for significant change in size, shape or colour, and moles that don't look like the ones around them.
Other key things to look out for are asymmetry, irregular edges, uneven colour and moles that are larger than 6mm in diameter or that are new and growing.
If you're concerned about any of those characteristics, arrange to see your General Practitioner. If you find a spot early, the chance of it progressing or spreading is much lower, and can be reduced to zero.
Get checked
"If you see something unusual on your skin, get it checked straight away. It's possible to get a melanoma even when you're 25," Sharyl said.
"That's why I encourage people to join too, and to also wear sunscreen, a hat, long-sleeved clothing and get their skin checked at least once a year, especially if they're always out in the sun."
Sharyl was "devastated" when she found out she had a melanoma.
"I never imagined that it would happen to me. I had a small bruise below my eye and it would not go away. I got it checked out and my GP said it was a melanoma," she said.
"I was in total shock because to me melanoma is something that older people get. My melanoma was deep underneath the surface and took two surgeries a week apart to remove.
"I looked awful after the surgeries, like I had been in a bad car crash, but the surgeries saved my life. Looking back, I was out and about in the sun a lot as a kid, and always enjoyed walking and running."
Trial
Bass Coast Health is taking part in a clinical trial to develop more efficient and effective screening for the early detection of melanoma, rather than relying on mole mapping undertaken by the human eye.
The Australian Centre of Excellence in Melanoma Imaging and Diagnosis (ACEMID) trial uses the VECTRA machine, a whole-body scanner that consists of 92 cameras which simultaneously capture images to construct a digital 3D avatar of a person, providing a detailed record of all skin lesions.
More than 300 participants have joined the trial at Wonthaggi Hospital since it opened in August 2023.
BCH is taking part in the trial through the Australian Cancer Research Foundation and Monash University and is supported by the TrialHub program. TrialHub is funded by the Australian Government, and leverages The Alfred Hospital's clinical trial expertise to provide financial support, as well as on-the-ground workforce upskilling and education, clinical trial operational and governance guidance, clinical trial awareness and help with the identification of clinical trials suitable to each health service.
BCH is one of the trial sites due to the high incidence of skin cancer in the community given our farming and coastal lifestyles. Having access to such trials locally is important to help inform the development of treatment and services.
For more information about skin checks and Check for Spots Day, go to: www.alfredhealth.org.au/services/victorian-melanoma-service/check-for-spots-day