Skin cancer treatment pioineers Georgina Long and Richard Scolyer say Australia's tanning culture is "killing us". More than 1,600 Australians are expected to be diagnosed with melanoma this year, but sun-safety advocates hope education and early intervention will help save lives.
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00:00 Getting a skin cancer check for the first time in his life.
00:06 So having a look over the area, this is the only one that does stand out, it's a little
00:09 bit different.
00:10 Beachgoer Branko Kalina will now need to see a specialist to see if a sunspot could be
00:16 something more.
00:17 You just think, oh well, it's not going to happen to me or it's not possible.
00:21 It's an attitude many Aussies share and one which the joint Australians of the year say
00:27 is killing us.
00:28 When it comes to tanning, we are swimming outside flags.
00:33 Professors Georgina Long and Richard Scolia are melanoma treatment pioneers.
00:38 According to their research, more than 16,000 Australians will be diagnosed with melanoma
00:43 this year, while 1,300 will die from it.
00:47 At Worilla on the New South Wales South Coast, Jay Allen has pulled up his truck to offer
00:52 free skin checks.
00:54 That's why we've got it here, so we can try and bring that ragged down.
00:56 Yeah.
00:57 It's an issue that's close to his heart after surviving stage 3 melanoma.
01:02 I had 44 staples from my stomach to my thigh and I had to go for scans and blood tests
01:06 every three months for five years.
01:08 And you know, 32, I had the weld on my feet and all of a sudden it changed overnight and
01:12 my life was in the hands of my doctors.
01:14 The young generation is our future.
01:16 We really need to start pushing out that awareness because what we do know is that skin cancer
01:21 and the damage is done to your skin early on in your years.
01:23 What's an Australian summer without a day at the beach?
01:28 And while the weather's not exactly the best here at South Narrabeen, nothing will stop
01:32 these kids from the bush getting their first taste of the ocean.
01:36 30 indigenous kids are embracing the surf and learning that even on cloudy days, sun
01:44 safety is just as important.
01:47 My hat, stay in the shade when it's hot.
01:50 Some simple advice we could all follow.
01:53 follow.
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