Tracey Roberts (Pearce, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to speak in support of the motion from my parliamentary colleague the member for Macarthur on skin cancer, and on the Albanese Labor government's significant funding of programs and campaigns to ensure that skin cancer is appropriately managed.

Skin cancer and cancer in general are diseases that unfortunately impact on too many families and individuals. Melanoma was estimated to be the second-most commonly diagnosed cancer in males in 2021, behind prostate cancer, and it was the third-most common in females, behind breast cancer and colorectal cancers. Last year, in 2022, more than 17,500 people were expected to have been diagnosed with melanoma. As a survivor of cancer and patron of Relay for Life West Coast, I know all too well the devastation and fear that the diagnosis sparks in individuals, family and friends. It is a frightening moment in time—a moment in which, if we could, we would immediately turn back the clock. For some people who are diagnosed with skin cancer, the spot may not be detected for some time, especially if it's located somewhere on the body that's concealed—whether that be the scalp or the bottom of the foot. A friend of mine had a skin cancer that appeared on the bottom of her foot—as you'd understand, that isn't a spot that we would check regularly, if at all. The spot is understood to have developed while she was sunbathing facedown and feet up, something that we now know to avoid by being sun safe. Unfortunately, there was not really an awareness of that then.

Early diagnosis is absolutely crucial. Early detection and treating of cancers like skin cancer can have a better outcome and a high success rate. But if detection is not early then there are significant problems. Fortunately, Australia's survival rate following a skin cancer or melanoma diagnosis is one of the highest in the world. The current five-year survival rate for melanoma is 93 per cent, and for non-melanoma skin cancer is nearly 70 per cent.

The Albanese Labor government is absolutely committed to improving outcomes for people affected by this disease. We're working alongside experts in the field. A two-year national cancer prevention campaign was announced by health minister, Mark Butler, in 2022. This, appropriately, took place during the Cancer Council's National Skin Cancer Action Week in November. Ten million dollars was invested in the campaign, which is being delivered in partnership with the Cancer Council Australia. This builds on a $10 million skin cancer campaign that the department delivered in partnership with the Cancer Council Australia in the summer of 2021-2022.

Increased awareness is vital to early detection, and this campaign seeks to raise awareness of how to prevent skin cancer. While all Australians will be targeted in the 2022- 2023 campaign, there will be a focus on men aged between 40 and 59 because, typically, they practise less sun-safe behaviours. Data from the Cancer Council's National Sun Protection Survey shows that between 2003 and 2004, and 2016 and 2017, some protection behaviours have improved, but it noted that there are still significant gains to be made, especially for adolescents when compared with adults. This is important, given that all Australian capital cities except for Hobart and Melbourne have at least one month a year when the average UV rating is extreme, which is a health risk.

Beyond that significant $10 million awareness campaign investment, the Albanese Labor government has also delivered on a budget commitment of $14.8 million in funding over four years to the Melanoma Institute Australia. This important funding is to extend the delivery of the institute's melanoma nurse program across the country from where it currently operates in Perth, Sydney, Wagga Wagga and Hobart. The national melanoma nurses program will support 35 melanoma nurses by 2025-26. The work of a melanoma nurse is incredibly valuable. They help patients find their way through the health system and make informed decisions about their cancer treatment and management. The Albanese Labor government is ensuring that skin cancer and melanoma awareness and treatment are being appropriately funded.

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