Australians now have a powerful new tool in the fight against skin cancer — a world-leading melanoma risk calculator designed to help people take action against one of the country’s most deadly and common cancers.
In 2024 alone, an estimated 18,964 new cases of melanoma were diagnosed, with the average age at diagnosis being 65. These figures highlight just how important this new tool could be in helping Australians take early and effective steps to protect their health.
The free calculator, available at www.qimrb.edu.au/melanoma, is backed by 10 years of data from 40,000 participants in the QSkin study. The calculator asks 16 scientifically relevant questions for melanoma risk while factoring in geographic locations and hereditary risk.
QIMR Berghofer Professor David Whiteman AM, lead researcher and expert advisor to the roadmap for a national targeted screening program for skin cancer, said the new calculator gives people a clearer understanding of their melanoma risk and how to take preventative action.
“Early identification of people who are high-risk can prompt more regular skin checks and targeted follow-up, while sparing lower-risk people from unnecessary screening or procedures. This tool is our best approach yet to allow our medical teams to focus on the people and areas of greatest need,” Prof. Whiteman said.
According to Professor Whiteman, the risk calculator has the power to save lives and even save money.
“Improving how we target and treat melanoma isn’t just critical for people with melanoma; it’s also an important economic necessity,” he said.
“By helping to triage patients more effectively, this tool supports smarter use of healthcare dollars and could go some way to easing the burden on our healthcare system.”
Sunshine Coast resident Nadine Wilson knows all too well the importance of understanding your risk, having been diagnosed with an early stage of melanoma.
“It’s a really easy way to know your personal risk and take easy steps to protect yourself, and potentially limit the chance of having surgery, or undergoing treatment,” she said.
“Even if you’ve already had a skin cancer, it’s worth checking your risk moving forward.”
While understanding your risk is important, knowing what to look for and how regularly to check also plays a major role.
That’s where the ABCDE of melanoma detection comes in, a useful guide to checking your skin.
The ABCDE of melanoma detection refers to the following:
When it comes to melanoma, knowledge matters — and this new tool, together with regular skin checks, can help you stay on top of your health.
IMPORTANT LEGAL INFO This article is of a general nature and FYI only, because it doesn’t take into account your personal health requirements or existing medical conditions. That means it’s not personalised health advice and shouldn’t be relied upon as if it is. Before making a health-related decision, you should work out if the info is appropriate for your situation and get professional medical advice.