Tackling Australia's most preventable & expensive cancer

3 min read

Our SOLBARI Co-Founder Johanna Young was invited to attend the Conference on UV & Skin Cancer Conference in Melbourne last week, we wanted to share with you some of the most up to date facts coming out of the forum.

Professor Adele Green and her colleague Professor David Whiteman, both leaders and world experts from QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute in Queensland have found that skin cancer is caused by over exposure to the sun in at least 90% of cases. Therefore, limiting exposure to harmful UV rays is critical.

Both Prof. Green and Prof. Whiteman were encouraged by the preventative solution that SOLBARI aims to provide.

Each working hour, 300 skin cancer excisions are being administer in Australia", Prof. Green said.

The estimated total number of BCC & SCC treated in Australia in 2015 is 938,991. (source Medicare Australia)

Prof. Green and Prof. Whiteman's research shows that the cost of diagnosing and treating non-melanoma skin cancer this year is expected to cost $703 million. This is more than twice what it cost in 2001.
In Australia, melanoma is the 4th most common cancer and rates of melanoma are rising.

The burden of skin cancer is not just an Australian problem. In the United States, it is estimated that there were up to 4 million BCC cases in the USA in 2013. The cost to treat these BCC cancers alone is US$1.4-3.4bln per annum.

Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre’s co-chair of the Melanoma and Skin Service, Professor Grant McArthur described melanoma as an "epidemic".

Finding adequate protection and following Australia's well known mantra of the SLIP, SLOP, SLAP, SLIDE and SEEK is the best way to maintain a healthy skin and help prevent skin damage, skin cancer and melanoma.

At SOLBARI we hear from melanoma and skin cancer patients who are undergoing treatment at advanced stages. Not only do their treatments turn their lives and their families lives upside down. The human and emotional burden of this preventable cancer should never be forgotten or underestimated.

“When you invest in cancer prevention, you actually get a return because you’re stopping the spending of all treatment costs and giving people quality of life,” Prof Green said.

Prevention is crucial because it is:

Simple & effective
Health costs are saved
Maximises personal well being and health

SOLBARI provides UPF50+ sun protective clothing, to help prevent skin cancer and melanoma, whilst enjoying the outdoors. SOLBARI's mission is to help eliminate these preventable cancers.

You can find out more about Solbari's sun protective range by clicking the links below:
Women UPF 50+
Men UPF 50+
Sun hats UPF 50+
Accessories UPF 50+
SPF 50+ Sunscreen