A dilemma no mother-to-be should face
31 January 2018
Clair faced an impossible choice – risk delivering her baby early, or delay potentially life-saving melanoma treatment.
She was 38 weeks’ pregnant with her first child when she received the news that a suspicious looking mole on her face was melanoma. Her medical team advised her she needed urgent surgery to remove the melanoma.
“It was pretty scary,” Clair said. “We discussed getting me into surgery that week but that would require knocking me out and with that there was a great risk of me going into labour in the operating theatre and waking up with my baby. That wasn’t something I wanted.”
Luckily, Clair and her medical team were able to formulate a plan which enabled her to give birth to her son and then have the surgery shortly afterwards.
“You’re breast feeding at the time, you have to fast for the surgery, you’re away from your baby - you have all those fears running through your mind,” Clair recalls.
Clair’s surgery was a success and she has since had three more children. She is grateful her employer, Brightside Cover, is supporting melanoma research by coming on board as Principal Partner for Melanoma March.
Clair’s is the latest in a series of emotive videos launched by Melanoma Institute Australia, showing the impact of melanoma on everyday Australians. Watch her story here and join her in the fight against melanoma by signing up for a Melanoma March event near you.
Melanoma Information Forum
We
Promising data for advanced melanoma patients
MIA has presented promising data regarding progression-free survival rates for advanced melanoma patients at the ESMO 2019 Congress in Barcelona.
Melanoma Information Forum
We
Community Fundraising September Wrap-Up
Another month has flown by and yet again we have a host of amazing community fundraisers who generously gave up their time to help us reach our goal of zero deaths from melanoma.
Notice for Supporters to Submit to PBAC
Comments in favour of giving patients with BRAF-positive melanoma access to first-line immunotherapy need to be submitted online prior to October 9, 2019.
Tune into Jay's Longest Melanoma March Channel 10 documentary
Jay's Longest Melanoma March documentary is screening this Sunday 22 September at 1pm (AEST) on Channel 10, capturing behind the scenes of the 2000km walk, Adelaide to Sydney in 50 days. Uniting to end melanoma.
Professor Georgina Long Co -Medical Director named Women of Influence in AFR Top 100 List
We are proud to announce that our Professor Georgina
Community Fundraising August Wrap-Up
It’s been a month since we highlighted some of our incredibly generous community fundraisers. We thought we’d have a look back at August and put the spotlight on more of the wonderful people who give up their time to fundraise for MIA, so we can continue to edge closer to our goal of zero deaths from melanoma.
From Lab Coats To Lycra - Australian Melanoma experts take on world Triathlon championships
They are a formidable team - in work and in play
Melanoma Institute Australia hosts SunSafe Student Ambassador Programs 2019
This week, Melanoma Institute Australia hosted the first of six
Australia at risk of falling behind USA and Europe in preventing deadly recurrence of Melanoma
Federal government urged
Team Melanoma smashes City2Surf
We want to thank every member of Team Melanoma and everyone who donated to them. With your help, we are moving closer to our goal of zero deaths from melanoma!
Ready to run over melanoma at City2Surf 2019
Lauren O'Brien tells us why she's running for a cause close to her heart
Community Fundraising July Wrap-Up
MIA could not do what we do without the incredible support and effort of our community fundraisers. We’d like to highlight some of the wonderful events organised by our community in
Breast cancer drug may hold key to tackling most deadly type of melanoma
An international study, led by researchers from Melanoma Institute Australia, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute and The University of Sydney as part of the Australian Melanoma Genome Project, has discovered that a drug traditionally used to treat a
MIA takes centre stage at leading cancer conference
Researchers from Melanoma Institute Australia took centre stage at the American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting in Chicago. Results presented by MIA’s contingent have the potential to create better patient outcomes and change the way advanced melanoma
International Clinical Trials Day 2019
Today is International Clinical Trials Day – a day to recognise and thank the amazing people who conduct, organise, and coordinate clinical trials.
Emma Betts' legacy will live on
“I’m the age Emma was when she passed away. It almost feels
Support PBS listing for three adjuvant treatments of resected Stage III melanoma
As always, part of the PBAC process invites clinicians, patients and other stakeholders in the cancer community to make submissions
Support PBS listing for pembrolizumab
As always, part of the PBAC process invites clinicians, patients and other stakeholders in the cancer community to make submissions in support of the PBS listing.