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 breakthrough paves way for personalised treatment for all cancer patients
Australian researchers have for the first time identified specific cells and receptors in the immune system which predict how a patient will respond to treatment with immunotherapies, potentially paving the way for the development of personalised therapy for all cancer patients.
Melanoma March announces 2019 Principal Partner
Melanoma March is thrilled to introduce Ricky as our official Principal Partner for 2019!
Swimming champion Cate Campbell spearheads national campaign to save lives from melanoma
World record holder, Olympian and Australian swimming champion Cate Campbell has been announced as National Ambassador for Melanoma Institute Australia (MIA) and its national awareness and fundraising campaign, Melanoma March.
MIA experts collaborate on groundbreaking research
MIA's expertise was essential to a recent Nature publication spearheaded by Perth’s Telethon Kids Institute and The University of Melbourne.
World-leading pathologist Associate Professor Michael Tetzlaff visits MIA
MIA is delighted to be hosting the MD Anderson pathologist on his first ever trip to Australia.
Possible PBS listing for dabrafenib and trametinib
Clinicians, patients and other stakeholders in the cancer community are invited to make submissions in support of the PBS listing for dabrafenib and trametinib.
Arden Anglican School wins SunSafe Ambassador competition
Three students from Arden Anglican School in Epping have won Melanoma Institute Australia’s (MIA) inaugural SunSafe Student Ambassador Award.
DON'T CLOUD THE SUN-SAFE MESSAGE
Mark Whittaker’s ‘Here comes the sun; Defending our summer rays’ (GW 24 Nov) clouds the sun-safe message – which could have disastrous consequences.
Professor Georgina Long named as one of world's most highly cited researchers
Professor Georgina Long is among only 12 researchers from the University of Sydney to be named in the 2018 Highly Cited Researchers List.
Aussies need to protect themselves from 'everyday' sun damage
‘Wearing sunscreen should be as automatic as wearing a seatbelt. Both are potential life savers.’
The Poche Centre to host 3D total-body imaging system as part of world-first initiative to save lives from melanoma
A prestigious $10 million Australian Cancer Research Foundation grant has been awarded to ACEMID, an initiative that aims to use 3D total-body imaging and a remote medicine network to improve the detection and diagnosis of early-stage melanoma.
Major award for world-leaders in melanoma research
Professor Georgina Long and Professor Richard Scolyer have been recognised as world leaders in melanoma research for their ground-breaking work that has changed the diagnosis and treatment landscape of melanoma world-wide, and tripled the life-expectancy of advanced melanoma patients.
Melanoma Institute Australia shines at prestigious Cancer Research Awards
Leading researchers from Melanoma Institute Australia have taken out the top accolades at the NSW Premier’s Awards for Outstanding Cancer Research.
Women of MIA lead the way in melanoma research at SMR
An impressive contingent of female delegates from Melanoma Institute Australia have presented findings across the whole spectrum of melanoma research at the Society for Melanoma Research 2018 Congress in Manchester, England.
Immune cell research presented at SMR
Over 800 researchers and clinicians from around the world were welcomed to Manchester for the 15th International Congress of the Society for Melanoma Research (SMR). Melanoma Institute Australia (MIA) has again sent an impressive number of delegates to present both oral presentations and posters with the latest in translational research.
Professor Georgina Long makes history as the first woman and first Australian to lead the Society for Melanoma Research
Professor Georgina Long makes history as the first woman and first Australian to lead the world’s most prestigious international melanoma research association.
Patients to benefit from updated skin tumour publications
Two publications co-edited by MIA Co-Medical Director Professor Richard Scolyer are now available to healthcare professionals. They aim to provide assistance in the care and management of patients with skin cancer, including melanoma.
SunSafe Student Ambassador Program
Melanoma Institute Australia has introduced a new educational program to teach teenagers about the dangers of melanoma and the importance of sun safety.
International collaboration the key to increasing survival
"International collaboration remains the key to ensuring this pioneering research continues so we can increase survival rates for advanced melanoma patients and move us closer to achieving our goal of zero deaths from melanoma," says Professor Georgina Long, of the clinical trial results presented at ESMO 2018.
High-risk Stage III melanoma patients to benefit from Australia/Netherlands collaboration
Research that could change clinical practice for high-risk Stage III melanoma patients has been presented at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress in Munich.