Every five hours an Australian will die from melanoma – one of the highest rates in the world.
This year, more than 14,000 Australians will be diagnosed with melanoma and around 1800 will die from the disease.
Melanoma Institute Australia is holding its annual Melanoma March this month to raise funds in its search for a cure. The march is now in its eighth year.
The marches will take place in 23 locations across the country, and someone who will be taking part is Sydney grandmother Joanne Greene with her Delta Therapy dog – a miniature dachshund called Frankie.
About seven years ago Joanne found a mole on her left thigh which was removed with clear margins.
Four years later it reactivated in her groin and she was diagnosed with Stage III melanoma. It was surgically removed, yet her cancer was upgraded to metastatic melanoma (Stage IV).
Joanne’s prognosis was not good. “Doctors said I had 12 weeks to live. I remember thinking, I’ve got to stay positive’. I said ‘I’m sorry I’m turning 70 soon and I’m taking my family on a cruise’.”
Thanks to research, Joanne was given treatment in a series of two infusions and medications at the Melanoma Institute Australia in Sydney.
“I was getting sicker and sicker – I just felt like jumping off the balcony. Then one of the doctors said, ‘There’s one thing I’d like to try’,” Joanne recalls.
While she admits the side-effects were gruelling, Joanne is now clear of melanoma and doctors say none of her tumours are measurable.
“There were times when I thought I couldn’t go on, but my kids said ‘Mum, you can’t give up. Look where you’ve come from and the chances the doctors have given you’.
“It’s been 18 months since my infusions and I’ve been doing well since.”
She says her recovery is down to the staff at the institute “and a tremendous amount of positive thinking. I don’t allow stress and negativity.”
“This is why I will be taking part in the March for Melanoma with Frankie.
“It is my way of giving back to the people who helped me, like Professor Georgina Long at the Melanoma Institute, while raising awareness about the importance of getting your skin checked regularly.”
- To find out about your nearest Melanoma March, or how to donate, go to melanomamarch.org.au