Targeted National Screening Program for Melanoma and Skin Cancer:
We all have Skin in the Game
1 March 2024
Craig Lawn
3 min read
Craig Lawn, a Stage IV melanoma survivor, is now spearheading the battle against skin cancer with his strong voice in advocacy and research.
Through his skin cancer journey and professional career, Craig is now a well renowned consumer advocate, and has impacted the design, implementation and interpretation of multiple key research studies in melanoma and skin cancer.
Craig is extensively involved with the Melanoma Institute of Australia (MIA) Research and Scientific Advisory Committees and the Australian Centre of Excellence in Melanoma Imaging and Diagnosis (ACEMID) Executive, and is chair of both of their Consumers in Research committees.
In Craig’s words:
My treatment for Stage IV melanoma started on Christmas Eve 2013. I was given six months to live. The tumours were popping up like mushrooms and riddled my body but I was fortunate to secure a spot on a clinical trial at the Melanoma Institute of Australia (MIA) under the amazing care of Professor Georgina Long and her team. Ten years later it is not ancient history as I still ‘live with cancer’. I still get scanxiety with my regular scans and skin checks. However, I am still incredibly thankful and try to appreciate the blessing of every precious day.
My commitment to advocacy arises from this personal melanoma experience, as well as my career advising many leading research groups and universities, and high growth medical companies like Resmed. I want to give back, and as well as board roles, have now been involved for a number of years with the MIA research, consumer and strategic research committees, the Australian Centre of Excellence in Melanoma Imaging & Diagnosis (ACEMID) executive and consumer committees, and various grant funded research projects as an investigator.
There have been amazing breakthroughs:
The treatment of metastatic melanoma has undergone a dramatic transformation over the past decade with the advent of molecular targeted therapy and immunotherapy. Today, 1 in 2 patients with metastatic are alive 5 years after diagnosis when treated with combination immunotherapy1 and over 1 in 3 patients are alive following years of combination BRAF/MEK targeted therapy2 or single-agent PD-1 blockade3. This is in contrast to 10 years ago, when metastatic melanoma was considered uniformly fatal with an overall survival <5%4. Despite these advances, additional therapeutic approaches are needed for patients resistant to available targeted and immune treatments.
Treatment of Advanced Melanoma in 2020 and Beyond Russell W. Jenkins and David E. Fisher
In addition to deaths from melanoma the quality of life and financial burden on Australians and our health system is enormous. The Australian Institute for Health and Welfare (AIHW) estimated in 2019/20 there were $1.463 billion costs attributed to NMSC and $259 million to melanoma, which will have increased since then due to greater availability and use of immunotherapy.
Unfortunately, we will always have skin cancer and melanoma in Australia due to our environment -we have the highest rate of skin cancer in the world and two out of three of us will receive a diagnosis by the time we are 70. However, our overarching vision of ‘Zero deaths from melanoma’ is not just marketing BS – I am convinced that it is a realistic goal achievable through:
- improved prevention and awareness – Slip Slop Slap Seek Slide has made a significant impact but there are still high risk cohorts that need to be targeted. Why is melanoma the most common cancer in Australians 18-39 years? Surely this must be tied to poor sun-safe behaviours in secondary schools and teenage years. “In my 30 years of teaching I have never asked why we had ‘No hat no play’ in primary school but then just did nothing in high school” (Rob, Sydney high school teacher). This is a complete abdication of education policy. We just accept that people in regional Australians are most affected by skin cancer but have the lowest pro rata access to dermatologists and skin specialist GPs. Who else do we need to focus on – tradies, outside sports…?
- continuing breakthroughs with drugs and treatments – clinical trials in immunotherapy drugs and other treatment options have made a huge impact. What is next as we personalise and target the treatments?
- national targeted screening – the big missing gap is implementing a risk based approach to screening skin cancers and melanoma. We need to move from an ad hoc, inequitable and inefficient approach to a targeted national program to get the right skin check for the right person at the right time. Our limited number of specialists and dermatologists will be enabled through screening technology to be able to reach at risk cohorts, particularly in regional and remote areas. The benefit of taking a ‘Doctor +’ approach with their checks supported by 2D and 3D skin screening powered by AI is imminent.
I still get regular scans and skin checks by a dermatologist as I am high risk. However, I know that this is not typical with most of my friends and family not being able to secure a regular check and the quality of these being variable. The problem for friends in regional areas is even more difficult.
Parliamentary Friends of Skin Cancer and Melanoma Awareness
I was recently part of a panel of experts at the Parliamentary Friends of Melanoma & Skin Cancer Awareness morning tea at Parliament House in Canberra. Amongst world-leading researchers and clinicians and other passionate consumers, we engaged in conversation with politicians and policy makers about the development of a targeted national screening program for skin cancer to ensure the right skin check for the right person at the right time.
This targeted screening program is a no brainer. Not only will it complement the other two key strategies to lead us to zero deaths from melanoma, but there are also significant and immediate spillover benefits:
- it will enable the early detection and treatment of all skin cancers, particularly to identify high risk cases
- enable the translation of treatment to other immuno linked cancers – there is already a track record of this such as with the recent startling results treating Dr Richard Scolyer’s brain cancer
- development of a new skin imaging and diagnostic industry that will apply the systems and standards to all skin diseases. As Professor Peter Soyer says: “We are where pathology was 30 years ago.”
This realistic vision of zero deaths from melanoma drives me. I am confident that we will get there because of Australia’s global leading researchers armed with the world’s largest and most sophisticated databases and the world’s first large wide network of screening systems.
2024 will be an important foundation year
- with support from the Parliamentary Friends of Melanoma and Skin Cancer Awareness group, Australian Department of Health and sector consumer and research leaders
- the existing research studies are close to confirming the optimal operating models, workforce and standards
- supercharged by the profile of having the research leaders, Professors Richard Scolyer and Georgina Long, named as joint Australians of the Year.
Whether we have a personal battle with melanoma, our family is affected, or we want to overcome the glaring gaps in melanoma and skin cancer treatment such as in young people and in regional areas, we all have skin in the game. We need to grab this opportunity now!
Next:
Q&A with Prof H Peter Soyer