State of the Nation – A Report into Melanoma

Melanoma patients and carers are being urged to participate in a ground-breaking survey which will shape the future of melanoma treatment, research, support and funding in Australia.

Melanoma Patients Australia and Melanoma Institute Australia are partnering to develop the country’s first ever landmark melanoma report: State of the Nation – A Report into Melanoma.

This comprehensive report will examine the issues currently facing melanoma patients and carers across Australia and make recommendations for policy change and investment to substantially improve outcomes for them as well as the wider Australian community.

It is vital to have input from melanoma patients and their carers from across Australia. This is a call to action, and we are asking people to take part in an online survey so we can fully understand their personal experiences.

‘’The survey will provide invaluable insights into the impact of melanoma and the realities faced by patients and their families’’ said Melanoma Patients Australia CEO Victoria Beedle.

“Your feedback is critical to the success of this State of the Nation report and I urge all melanoma patients and their families to invest just half an hour in completing the survey. By doing so, you will become part of the solution to this huge problem impacting communities across the country’’.

According to Melanoma Institute Australia CEO Matthew Browne, ‘’Australia has the highest melanoma rates in the world, and this State of the Nation report will for the first time provide an indepth assessment of the far-reaching impacts of the disease across the country’’.

“It will provide the opportunity to revolutionise melanoma policy, funding, care and support services going forward, which in the long term will benefit all Australians for generations to come’’.

The key areas being addressed in State of the Nation – A Report into Melanoma include:

• Melanoma prevention and awareness, including the effectiveness of current campaigns and what more needs to be done
• Early detection and diagnosis including the feasibility of a national skin screening program
• Treatment options available and access to breakthrough therapies
• Supportive care services during and after treatment
• Issues facing survivors and their families after successful treatment
• Palliative and end of life care
• Research priorities, opportunities and challenges.

The State of the Nation Report will be presented to government mid-year with the aim of guiding future policy and funding direction to help reduce the impact of melanoma on Australian society.

CLICK HERE TO COMPLETE THE SURVEY