Melanoma Support Line

The initial shock of a melanoma diagnosis or recurrence can be overwhelming. You may wish to speak freely with a person who understands your situation and is experienced in providing compassionate emotional support. You may feel confused, frightened or anxious. It is often far easier to express your rawest emotions honestly to someone who cares but who is not a close family member or friend. Talking about life and death, grief and loss concerns can be confronting, so having someone you can be open with may bring some peace.

As well as emotional support, specific melanoma information and referral to local services including MPA Support Groups will be offered as required. Informal linkage to others experiencing similar situations can also be arranged. The service is provided via telephone or email.

Contact and support can continue for as long as support is required. You will feel safe, supported and reassured as you face an extremely difficult life crisis.

To access this service you can call 1300 88 44 50 or click here for information or support.

If you need an interpreter, please call TIS National on 131 450 and ask them to call Melanoma Patients Australia on 1300 88 44 50. You can be connected with an interpreter during our business hours (9am to 5pm AEST). This service will be free of charge. TIS National interpreters are professional and will keep your information confidential. For more information about this service, visit the TIS National website.

There are many other government, private and not-for-profit community services and agencies available to assist you with concerns and issues that may also impact while dealing with melanoma. These include Cancer Councils, Centrelink, disability, aged care and palliative care services.

Please call the Melanoma Support Line 1300 88 44 50 for service information and referral.

Your carer may be a family member – such as your spouse, partner, child, parent, grandparent or sibling – or you may have a friend who has stepped into this role.

Caring for someone who is unwell from treatment side effects or as a consequence of the disease can be both physically and emotionally challenging and there is often little “down time” for carers to have a break or to socialise in the same way as others. It is important that carers look after their own health and well-being and receive emotional support around the issues facing their loved ones.

There are support services to assist your carer in their caring role, including:-

Commonwealth Respite and Carelink Centres
Carers Australia
Centrelink Carer Payment and /or Carer Allowance

This MPA article, Care for the Carer, explores the vital role of the carer plus provides some tips to help you along the way.

Please contact us for emotional support by calling MPA’s Support Line
1300 88 44 50.

We realise how reassuring it is to be able to talk to someone who truly understands what you are going through– who’s been through ti themselves. MPA can link you to someone who has had a similar experience to yours so you can exchange ideas and share your story. It may be possible to link you with someone of a similar age or who lives in the same area.

“I so wanted to speak to someone my own age with melanoma. It was great as we had so much in common and we now keep in touch.”

Please contact the MPA Support Line on 1300 88 44 50 to be connected.

As the treatment landscape for metastatic melanoma is constantly changing and often expert knowledge is difficult to access, MPA provides public information forums at different locations around Australia each year. There are always a variety of topics covered so the events are always well attended. The forums provide the opportunity to make connections as well as being educated about what’s current in the melanoma world.

Subscribe to the MPA newsletters below to find out where and when the next forum will be.