MSCAN is proud to have delivered hundreds of skin checks in regional Australia in our partnership with Corteva Agriscience.

It all began in Coleambally, regional NSW, at the Active Farmers Games (or Farmer Olympics, as we liked to call it!). At our very first skin check day in partnership with Corteva Agriscience, our highly qualified dermatologist detected a melanoma on a young woman. The email we received from her after it had been surgically removed was heart-felt and certainly brought a tear to the eye.

Since then, we’ve partnered with Corteva Agriscience at regional events and big conferences, including the Cotton Conference, Beef Week, Hort Connections and the Merch & Fert Conference.

It’s a difficult one for us to measure success. It doesn’t feel like a “hooray, we found a skin cancer!” kind of moment, but we know that it’s really significant.

Whether it’s running skin checks in regional Australia or in Parliament House, Canberra, the appointments always fill really quickly. For most events, every booking is taken within the first 24 hours after sharing the appointment times.

We’re partnering with Corteva Agriscience because we want to promote:

• Skin cancer prevention. We know that farmers and outdoor workers are exposed to more UV radiation than indoor workers, and the single greatest risk factor for skin cancer is excessive exposure to UV radiation. Read more about skin cancer prevention here.
• Early detection of skin cancer. Finding skin cancer early is the key. In addition to doing a whole-body skin check, our dermatologists provide education, including what to look out for. Read more about the early detection of skin cancer here.

We often hear from people at our skin check events that it’s really hard to access skin checks in regional Australia. There are significant challenges accessing healthcare – it’s hard to get in to see a GP and it’s even more difficult to get in to see a dermatologist.

One of the best parts of the job is that the people who come to have their skin checked are incredibly grateful.