Skip to main content

Skin Cancer

They know it's harmful but young Australians still think it's cool to be tanned

Hearing "slip, slop, slap" and "no hat, no play" in childhood hasn't kept today's teens and young adults out of the sun. But there is hope social media campaigns can change attitudes about tanning.
Updated
Three young women wearing bikinis smile. A graphic of sunscreen, sunglasses and a juice are in front of them.

'Bronze culture killing us': Australians of Year issue dire warning as thousands flock to the beach

The 2024 Australians of the Year have warned the nation's tanning culture is "killing us", but that hasn't stopped of people hitting the beach on a scorching Australia Day.
Updated
Swimmers at Sydney's Coogee Beach 260124

Are you slapping on the recommended seven teaspoons of sunscreen each day?

Experts say you should be using at least 35 millilitres of sunscreen every day. And if you get sweaty, you'll need to reapply. 
Updated
A man's hand holds a teaspoon of sunscreen

Growing up, Jim spent his weekends fishing, boating and swimming. Now he is paying for those days

This 64-year-old outback man recently had skin cancer removed from the top of his head.  It is one of hundreds he has had after a youth spent in the sun. 
A Caucasian man in a hat sits on a park bench, putting something in the pocketof his light shirt, khaki pants, greenery behind.

Expert says Australia is a 'death denying' country. These mates want you to talk about it openly

When Nicholas Smithson was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer, he would lie awake at night terrified of dying. He decided to talk to a friend and now they are on a mission.
Two men on couches with headphones and microphones, one of them is clearer in the image and is smiling

We all need a little sunshine in our life — but getting the dose right is important

The right balance of benefits vs risks of sunlight will look different from person to person, but there are ways to ensure you're on the right track when it comes to getting what you need.
Woman smiling, looking through window with sun peeking through glass.

'I'm lucky to be here': When Emily Hayes picked up the phone, she thought her life was over

Last year Emily Hayes received a phone call that made her think her life was over. The 30-year-old lives in Queensland — the skin cancer capital of the world.
Updated
woman looking at camera

Growing concerns skin checks are unaffordable for many

Despite Australia having one of the highest rates of skin cancer in the world, skin checks are not covered by Medicare.
Updated
ABC News Current
Duration: 5 minutes 13 seconds

Faced with 'certain death', pathologist Richard Scolyer is undergoing an experimental treatment

Pathologist Richard Scolyer's colleagues have designed a high-stakes experiment to fight his brain tumour, using the very treatment they pioneered for melanoma.  
Two images put together, left side Richard in work uniform, right side Richard in a hospital gown.

Aussie men called on to be more sun smart

New research reveals men over the age of 40 are 2.5 times more likely to die from melanoma than women of the same age.
ABC News Current
Duration: 4 minutes 11 seconds

More than 160,000 Australians are expected to be diagnosed with cancer this year. But the outcomes for some will vary greatly

Cancer survival rates in Australia are some of the highest in the world, but many people, including Indigenous Australians and those living in regional areas, are falling far behind.
A composite image of an Aboriginal woman wearing a black hat and a white woman with brown hair

How a cancer journey that started when Lee-Ann was a child helped her live a happy, healthy life

Lee-Ann Lovegrove's cancer story started when she was just 11. Now 47, the central Queensland woman says she is living proof that a positive mind and body can help combat disease.
Updated
A woman with blonde hair sitting at the beach on a log overlooking the water.

At just 19, Crystal thought her itchy spot was harmless. Then she went for a skin check

After more than a year of gruelling treatments for melanoma, she is now raising awareness about the prevalence of the disease among young people.
A young woman with short copper hair leaning on a fence post. She is wearing a black shirt

Clinton's big toe wouldn't heal. By the time he was diagnosed with a rare melanoma, it was too late

Clinton Parker's melanoma is unrelated to sunlight exposure. He's been given just 12 to 24 months to live. 
Updated
Caprice Sobel with daughter Isobel and husband Clinton Parker

AFL confirms KISS will perform at grand final, NASA's SpaceX to splashdown after research mission. Catch up with The Loop

This morning's news, as it happened.
Updated
US band KISS performs on stage with black and white makeup on their face.

Melanoma rates dropping for younger people in Queensland, but skin cancer still on the rise

A Greens senator's experience with skin cancer prompts a warning about cumulative sun exposure as skin cancer rates rise, despite the success of the Slip Slop Slap campaign for those born after 1980.
Updated
A lady with a red face following chemo treatment.

Hairdressers are confidants and career counsellors, now they're helping cut cancer deaths

Hairdressers, barbers, and beauticians often find themselves wearing multiple hats, but now they're the unexpected heroes in the fight against cancer.
A hairdresser

When a doctor saw this image on TV, he sent a potentially life-saving email

Professor Dan Angus was being interviewed in an ABC News television story when a doctor he'd never met noticed a sinister spot on his face while watching from home.
An image of Dan Angus

GPs playing increasingly pivotal role in detecting skin cancer in Australians

When 42-year-old Nicolette Jane noticed a red, itchy lump on her nose, she went to straight to her GP, as a new study highlights the huge job doctors are undertaking to detect skin cancer.
A woman with a black spot on her nose

Research shows melanoma rates in young people dropping

Cancer organisations and skin cancer survivors are hailing research showing a drop in melanoma rates among young people.
ABC News Current
Duration: 1 minute 41 seconds

Queenslanders are living 10 years longer, with the leading causes of death revealed

The increase in life expectancy – which does not take in last year's COVID-19 deaths — comes off the back of drops in Queensland tobacco smoking.
Updated
People enjoying outdoors running, walking rollerblading on a sunny autumn day at Kangaroo Point in Brisbane

Melanoma rates drop among young people

Cancer organisations and survivors are hailing research showing melanoma rates are falling among young people, with the positive impact of sun awareness campaigns seen to be paying off.
ABC News Current
Duration: 1 minute 39 seconds

Cancer win for firefighters as Tasmanian legislation leads the way

Neil Brooksbank is certain that fighting thousands of fires over the years has caused his bladder cancer — and thanks to a change in Tasmanian law, he does not have to fight to prove the cause.
Neil Brooksbank addresses a crowd at a rally.

Decline in melanoma in under-40s welcomed by survivor Felicity, who was diagnosed days after giving birth

Felicity found out she had stage four melanoma days after giving birth to her daughter Zara but, after repeated rounds of therapy, she received much more positive news — and a study shows that there's also been progress at a population level.
A woman in a cap with her daughter.

Rising number of skin cancers appearing on eyelids

Queensland eye doctors say they're treating more skin cancers on eyelids as they warn people protect their eyes while in the sun to avoid potentially complex surgery.
Updated
ABC News Current
Duration: 1 minute 40 seconds