‘Australia’s national cancer’: Melbourne’s melanoma hotspots
By Hannah Hammoud and Broede Carmody
A bayside suburb has earned the undesirable title of Melbourne’s skin cancer hotspot, according to an analysis of a decade of data.
Across the greater metropolitan area, the highest rates of melanoma – the most serious form of skin cancer – can be found in Beaumaris.
Residents of the suburb known for its coastline and mid-century homes are almost 30 per cent more likely to be diagnosed with invasive melanoma compared with the average Australian.
Further down the coast, Mornington, Mount Martha and Point Nepean are in equal second place. Residents of these Mornington Peninsula suburbs are 24 per cent more likely to be diagnosed with skin cancer compared with elsewhere.
Nearby Rosebud rounds out Melbourne’s top five melanoma hotspots, with a diagnosis rate 23 per cent higher than the national average.
The statistics come from the Australian Cancer Atlas, a project developed by researchers who analysed the latest available diagnostic data, from 2010 to 2019. The findings show that within Greater Melbourne, residents of Bayside and the Mornington Peninsula have the highest risk of developing skin cancer – in part because the median age in those areas is higher.
Melanoma survivor Tamara Dawson, from Elsternwick, was diagnosed with skin cancer 10 years ago.
February will mark 10 years since Tamara Dawson was diagnosed with melanoma.Credit: Justin McManus
Unlike most melanoma patients, Dawson never discovered a suspicious spot on her skin. Instead, her journey began with an unusual pain in her abdomen, but she didn’t think it was anything serious.
“I had absolutely no [inkling] that it was cancer. I wasn’t even remotely worried,” she said.
Her doctor initially suggested the discomfort could be from a muscle strain and that she could wait to see if her symptoms improved.
But Dawson wasn’t convinced. She pushed for an ultrasound, which led to a biopsy that revealed melanoma spots on her liver. She was just 36 and had recently returned to work from parental leave.
“I’m forever grateful that I did actually push to have that test done,” she said.
“My diagnosis came as such a shock to me. I didn’t really understand what metastatic melanoma stage 4 meant. It was really confronting, I was in my mid-30s, I had a one-year-old kid and [was] trying to understand what a diagnosis like that meant for my family and for my career.”
Dawson grew up on a beef farm in Gippsland and spent a lot of time outdoors – a childhood she describes as typically Australian. Research from the Cancer Council reveals that Victorians in regional areas are more likely to develop melanomas than their city counterparts. Melanomas account for 10 per cent of all cancers diagnosed in these areas.
Melbourne’s skin-cancer hotspots
- Beaumaris
- Mornington
- Mount Martha
- Point Nepean
- Rosebud - McCrae
- Flinders
- Mount Eliza
- Sandringham - Black Rock
- Dromana
Before her diagnosis, Dawson’s sun-protection routine was similar to many other Australians: sunscreen and a cap. Now, she believes the key to reducing skin cancer rates also lies in better education.
“I think I was probably the typical Aussie in that I just didn’t take it seriously enough,” she said.
Experts agree. The Cancer Council reports that melanoma is the most common cancer in Australians aged 15 to 29 because many young people underestimate their risk.
While melanoma rates have declined for younger Victorians aged 24 to 50, and even stabilised for those between 50 and 65, cases are rising among those over 75, reflecting the state’s ageing population.
Australia has the highest rates of skin cancer in the world.Credit: Scott McNaughton
Cancer Council Victoria’s head of SunSmart, Emma Glassenbury, said the risk of skin cancer increased with age due to greater UV exposure over a person’s lifetime.
“We have absolutely seen success in the decline of melanoma rates in younger Victorians. But as our population grows and ages, melanoma case numbers are expected to climb in the future, and the high cost of therapy will strain healthcare budgets,” she said.
“The primary prevention of skin cancer really must remain a high priority and on the public health agenda because skin cancer is preventable.”
Alongside its beachside location, an ageing population could help explain why Beaumaris tops the list. The median age in Melbourne was 38, according to the 2021 census, but 48 in the bayside suburb.
Dawson, now cancer-free, has become a passionate advocate. She founded the Melanoma and Skin Cancer Advocacy Network to raise awareness and address the lack of support and education surrounding the disease.
“This is Australia’s national cancer, and yet there’s so much we’re not doing as a country to reduce the burden of disease,” she said.
Pockets of Melbourne’s western, northern and inner south-eastern suburbs generally have lower-than-average diagnoses. Residents of Cairnlea, about 17 kilometres north-west of the CBD, have the lowest risk – followed by St Albans, Springvale and Burnside Heights.
Dr Jessica Cameron, a data scientist for the Australian Cancer Atlas, said that while many areas of Melbourne had lower-than-average rates compared with the national average, it was important to remember that the national average was, in fact, very high.
The Cancer Council reports that Australia has the world’s highest rates of skin cancer and that at least two in three Australians will be diagnosed with skin cancer in their lifetime.
“The high rates in coastal areas demonstrate that wherever we live, we need to slip, slop, slap, slide, seek, and check the UV index using the SunSmart app or the Bureau of Meteorology website,” Cameron said.
While most Australians are familiar with slipping on a shirt, slopping on sunscreen and slapping on a hat, the iconic Slip, Slop, Slap slogan was updated in 2007 to include seeking shade and sliding on wraparound sunglasses.
Melanoma rates in Australia are two to three times higher than in Canada, the United States and the UK. While mortality is low, it remains 1.5 to 2.5 times higher than in those countries.
Queensland has the highest melanoma risk in Australia, followed by Tasmania, Western Australia, New South Wales, the ACT, the Northern Territory, South Australia and Victoria.
Early detection plays a crucial role in improving health outcomes. Glassenbury urges Victorians to regularly check their skin and consult a doctor if they notice any changes.
“Anything new or anything unusual, or any moles that are changing in colour, size or shape – they’re all indicators that you need to see your doctor and get your skin checked,” she said.
Men were particularly vulnerable to melanoma, often developing it on the ears, neck and chest, while women typically saw it on their legs, Glassenbury said. Men were also twice as likely to die from melanoma compared with women, partly because they were less likely to use sun protection.
Protection against UV radiation remains essential, especially because the UV index in Victoria typically exceeds three for much of the day from mid-August to the end of April (the minimum is zero and the maximum is 11+). Glassenbury recommends using all five forms of protection: sunscreen, protective clothing, wearing a wide-brim hat and sunglasses, and seeking shade.
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