Steve Irons (Swan, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On behalf of the Standing Committee on Health, I present the committee's report entitled Skin cancer in Australia: our national cancer, together with the minutes of the proceedings.

Ordered that the report be made a parliamentary paper.

Skin cancer is often referred to as Australia's 'national cancer' as Australia has the highest rate of skin cancer in the world, with 2 in 3 Australians expected to be diagnosed with skin cancer before the age of 70. Yet 95 to 99 per cent of all skin cancers are preventable.

Since the iconic Slip! Slop! Slap! campaign of the 1980s, primary prevention campaigns have promoted the use of sunscreen, protective clothing and limiting the skin's exposure to the sun. Statistics show that primary skin protection campaigns are working and I commend all those who made previous campaigns possible.

The committee heard that there is still progress to be made to embed sun-wise behaviours in some sectors of the Australian population. Two notable examples are the outdoor workforce and young Australians, which, although aware of the risk of skin cancer, have not translated this awareness into behavioural change. To encourage behavioural change, the committee has recommended specific strategies be developed to better educate the outdoor workforce and young Australians at high schools on how to be sun wise.

Early diagnosis is critical for survival rates for skin cancer. Australia engages in population-based screening programs for breast, cervical, and bowel cancers, but relies on opportunistic screening for skin cancer. The committee therefore recommended that information about skin cancer checks be included as part of the notification process for bowel cancer, as well as for the health assessments for people aged 75 years and over—the latter a high category risk group.

The inquiry also highlighted the debate on how best to provide diagnosis and treatment services for skin cancer, whether through referrals to dermatologists or through skin cancer clinics. Skin cancer clinics have developed in response to the increased demand for skin checks, long waiting times to see dermatologists, as well as cost, distance and time constraints.

The committee found that greater assurance should be provided to the public that skin cancer clinics are staffed by GPs with a high level of relevant skills and experience. To achieve this, the committee recommended skin cancer clinics be properly accredited and staffed by a minimum number of suitably qualified and experienced staff including dermatologists.

Indeed, despite the central role of GPs in diagnosing and treating skin cancer, the committee was concerned that only 2 hours of an undergraduate medical degree is dedicated to dermatology. The committee therefore recommended that the dermatology component of undergraduate medical degrees be expanded. Treatment and management of skin cancer involves any number of clinicians and specialists as well as a range of psychosocial and non-medical support services. For patients, navigating the multitude of clinicians and specialists can add to an already challenging and uncertain time in their lives. This is where multidisciplinary patient management becomes particularly important. Taking the value of multidisciplinary management into consideration the committee recommended that these services be adopted nationally. While Australia has earned a global reputation for its medical research, particularly in the area of cancer research, it is vital that Australia continue to lead global research in this area.

Although an overall increase in the incidence of skin cancer in Australia's ageing population is likely, current trends indicate that mortality rates are likely to decrease. Australia has made great advances in preventing and treating skin cancers, but there is always more that can be done.

Referring back to the mention of the two hours of undergraduate training, we also heard in the evidence that doctors are likely to have two weeks of cardiac arrest or heart training and they might only have five instances of dealing with a heart attack in their whole time as a GP, whereas they get two hours of undergraduate training on dermatology and they might have a melanoma experience once every year. So there is a good reason to increase the undergraduate hours.

In closing, I thank the organisations and government agencies who contributed to this inquiry and the individuals who generously spoke about their experiences with skin cancer and seeking treatment. I also thank the committee members. I see the member for Gellibrand here, who came in as the deputy chair halfway through the inquiry, took over for the previous member and did a fantastic job. His support was appreciated. So the contribution by the committee members has been fantastic, and their participation to the inquiry is also appreciated.

I would also like to thank the secretariat, who have put the report together and done a fantastic job supporting the members of the committee. I commend the report to the House.

Tim Watts (Gellibrand, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am pleased to have the opportunity to speak on the Standing Committee on Health report on the inquiry into skin cancer in Australia. As the committee chair has just stated, skin cancer is often referred to as Australia's 'national cancer'. Australia has the highest incidence of skin cancer in the world, perhaps unsurprisingly. Current statistics indicate that two in three Australians will be diagnosed with skin cancer before the age of 70. It very much is a cancer that will touch many of us in this room.

More Australians will die from this disease this year than will die from transport accidents. Early diagnosis of skin cancer can be critical for survival. If melanoma is found early and if it is removed completely then the chance of cure is high; but, if melanoma spreads to other organs and tissues, if it has reached stage 3 or 4 and is classified as advanced melanoma, the prognosis is much less favourable. If someone is diagnosed with advanced melanoma, the average time for survival is just eight to nine months. This is why public awareness of this type of skin cancer in particular is so important. Catching it early can save your life.

Skin cancer costs Australians hundreds of millions of dollars a year, yet in almost all cases skin cancer is preventable. Thankfully, statistics show that primary prevention campaigns in Australia are working. We all remember the great success of the Slip! Slop! Slap! campaign. People are wearing sunscreen and protective clothing and are limiting their exposure to damaging ultraviolet rays. People are getting new moles checked and are looking out for existing moles that have changed shape. We have also developed a number of life-saving treatments.

Australia has made great advances in preventing and treating skin cancers, but there is certainly room for improvement, and that is why this is inquiry is important. The inquiry highlighted that there is still progress to be made in some pockets of society in particular. We still need to raise awareness of sun smart behaviours, particularly with the outdoor workforce and with young Australians at the secondary school level—those who have grown up after the Slip Slop Slap! campaign. Not all Australians are being sun smart. The committee recommends that the Department of Education and Training work with the states and territories to encourage secondary schools to adopt SunSmart policies. Targeting young people is important because reducing exposure to UV rays at a younger age reduces the risk of skin cancer later in life.

The inquiry also highlighted that skin cancer is a particular problem for Australians in rural and remote areas, particularly those that work outdoors. People in these areas are at greater risk of skin cancer yet are less likely to have access to specialist dermatologists. The committee recommends the use of new and emerging technologies in the diagnosis of skin cancer to overcome some of these hurdles; for example, the use of teledermatology allows rural doctors to submit digital images of affected skin and history to an experienced dermatologist. The dermatologist can then report back with diagnosis and treatment options. The committee further recommends that the Department of Health work with state and territory counterparts to establish a virtual platform that will allow for multidisciplinary treatment of skin cancer for patients in regional and remote areas.

The committee also recommends that teledermatology be included on the Medicare Benefits Scheme. It is important for Australia to continue to lead global research into skin cancer. We need to work toward discovering new and improved treatments. Skin cancer can be treated by a range of therapies including surgery, radiation therapy, biological therapy, chemotherapy and immunotherapy. However, when the most deadly form of skin cancer, advanced melanoma, reaches stage 3 or 4 treatment is relatively ineffective at present. Fortunately, new treatments are being developed that boost the immune system and that target the genes that are involved in melanoma occurrence and growth.

New technologies have been developed such as the dermatoscope, which is key to the early detection of skin cancers. Accuracy of diagnosis is particularly important in the screening of skin cancer. The dermatoscope is a technological instrument that can be used to examine suspicious skin lesions. Significant improvements in diagnostic accuracy result from the use of a dermatoscope. The committee recommends improved and expanded education and training in dermatology for medical students, as well as providing training for nurses in rural areas. Raising awareness of skin cancer to increase prevention and improving treatments is critical to saving the lives of Australians.

I, too, would like to thank the many organisations and private submitters who gave their time to assist the committee in its inquiry. I would also like to thank the committee members. As the chair indicated, I joined this committee when it was already well underway, and they welcomed me with open arms. So I pass on my personal thanks in that respect. As always, when talking about a new committee report, we should thank the committee secretariat who worked diligently throughout this process and assisted us to get to where we are tonight.

Don Randall (Canning, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Gellibrand. The time allotted for the statement on this report has expired. Does the honourable member for Swan wish to move a motion in connection with the report to enable it to be debated on a later occasion?

Steve Irons (Swan, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That the House take note of the report.

Don Randall (Canning, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In accordance with standing order 39 the debate is adjourned. The resumption of the debate will be made an order of the day for the next sitting.