Prevention and Awareness of Skin Cancer Project #1
Currently Friends-R-4 is attempting to fund the following project:
Early Cancer Detection Campaign (ECDC)
Background
The Early Cancer Detection Campaign (ECDC) is intended to be a multi media/faceted community awareness project to detect skin cancers in the earliest possible stage of disease, which will in turn result in the prevention of some disease or early treatment in order to avoid further serious consequences.
This of course will save lives and reduce the suffering - both physical and mental - of the victims and their families as well as the obvious huge saving of health costs to the victim and major health costs and resources to the community.
ECDC will be overseen by Craig Sinclair from the Cancer Council of Victoria who is the advisor to Federal and State Health Bodies on Skin Cancer Prevention.
Skin cancer, including melanoma and non-melanoma, is the most frequently diagnosed cancer in Australia and accounts for 80% of all newly diagnosed cancers.
- In Australia we are fortunate to have a sunny climate, but it comes with a heightened risk of skin cancer. Australia leads the world in skin cancer, with one in two Australians diagnosed with skin cancer in their lifetime.
- Prevention remains the best way to tackle skin cancer. At a national level, this Government has committed to the National Skin Cancer Awareness Campaign. The Campaign is focused on young people as melanoma, the most dangerous skin cancer, is also the most common cancer in young people in the 15-24 year old age group.
- This year’s National Skin Cancer Awareness Campaign commenced in November 2008, and continues throughout the summer of 2008-09.
- This campaign continues to educate young Australians about the seriousness of, and their susceptibility to, skin cancer through sun exposure and provides practical tips: apply SPF 30+ sunscreen; seek shade; and wear clothing, a hat and sunglasses.
- Skin cancer is also linked with solarium use. In April 2008, Health Ministers endorsed principles to strengthen national regulatory arrangements for solaria aimed at protecting those most at risk from solaria-induced skin cancer: young people, and those with very fair skin (skin that will not tan).
- Since that time, all jurisdictions, including the Australian Government, have worked cooperatively through the Radiation Health Committee (RHC) of the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA) to turn these principles into effective and nationally consistent regulatory arrangements for consideration by Health Ministers.
Fortunately, there is very good evidence that investment in social marketing at the federal level has had a direct impact on behaviour and attitudes relating to skin cancer prevention. Unlike many other diseases, we now have strong evidence about what works to reduce future skin cancer burden.Rigorous economic evaluation by the Cancer Council's have also shown a national Sun Smart campaign returning $2.32 for every $1 invested through reduced healthcare costs to government alone, the benefits are compelling.
- Two in three Australians will be diagnosed with skin cancer before the age of 70
- Skin cancer is the most expensive cancer to treat nationally.
- More than 380,000 Australians are treated for skin cancer each year, generating almost 1 million GP consultations and over 1600 Australians die from the disease.
- The benefits of investing in prevention to reduce these economic and social costs will only grow, as the projected burden of skin cancer increases with population ageing.
Of some concern however, is that there is no apparent financial government commitment to the campaign after 2008-09 and it is too important to allow it to lapse..
The costs involved with the project are intended to be provided by Friends-R-4. 