Overview:

In this episode, we cover the fundamentals and treatment of early stage melanoma.

Speakers:

Associate Professor Victoria Mar is the Director of the Victorian Melanoma Service at The Alfred Hospital in Melbourne, and Adjunct Associate Professor at the School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University.  She is a board member of the Australian and New Zealand Melanoma Trials Group and the Skin and Cancer Foundation. She has authored and co-authored a number of chapters for the Cancer Council Australia Melanoma Guidelines and is Clinical Lead for the Melanoma Clinical Outcomes Registry.

Emeritus Professor John Thompson was Chair of Melanoma and Surgical Oncology at the University of Sydney from 1999 to 2019 and was Executive Director of Melanoma Institute Australia from 1998 to 2016.  He has been chairman of the Australian Melanoma Management Guidelines Working Party since 2005, and was chairman of the ANZ Melanoma Trials Group from 2002 to 2013. Professor Thompson has authored over 900 peer-reviewed scientific articles and book chapters and serves on the editorial boards of several major international journals. 

Topics Covered In This Episode:

• What exactly is melanoma and how is it caused
• How is it diagnosed
• Why Australia has high rates of melanoma
• Why is melanoma the most concerning of skin cancers
• Why it’s earlier to catch melanoma early
• What would you expect to happen during a skin check
• The importance of self examination
• What does a clinician look for during a skin check
• What staging is and why it’s important
• The differences between breslow thickness, ulceration and mitosis
• Why pathology tests are performed 
• What is a sentinel node biopsy
• Different treatment options for melanoma
• The kinds of excisions performed
• The types of clinicians who might perform excisions
• How to determine the likelihood of melanoma recurring
• What is involved in having a sentinel node biopsy performed
• Complications arising with sentinel node biopsies in regional and remote locations
• Exciting advancements on the horizon in the field of melanoma diagnosis and treatment

For More Information:

The Spot On Podcast is brought to you by the Melanoma & Skin Cancer Advocacy Network (MSCAN) - who are providing a new, innovative approach to tackle Australia’s national cancer.

MSCAN engages with Australia’s leading clinicians, researchers and advocates with the aim of increasing the knowledge of those affected by a diagnosis. 

MSCAN is grateful to the clinicians interviewed in our podcast series. They have all provided their time and input freely and independently. 

The content discussed in these episodes is for information purposes only and should not be considered as medical advice. Please make sure you speak with a medical professional for advice relating to your own specific situation.