It's 'Game On Mole' this summer!
1 December 2020
As Australia prepares for another long hot summer, a stark warning has been issued about the dangers of melanoma with all Australians urged to take action to save lives from the potentially deadly disease.
Australia has the highest melanoma rates in the world, with one person diagnosed every 30 minutes and one person dying from the disease every five hours. It is also the most common cancer in 15-39 year-olds.
CEO of Melanoma Institute Australia, Matthew Browne, said with the recent extreme heat covering much of the continent, it was ‘game on’ for all Australians to take action to not only protect their skin this summer, but to also start life-saving conversations about skin health.
‘All Australians need to take action to ensure they are sun safe during the hot summer months, as UV exposure leading to sunburn is the single biggest risk factor for developing melanoma,’ Mr Browne said.
But equally as important is starting life-saving conversations about the early detection of melanoma, as if caught early, 90% of melanomas can be cured with surgery alone.
‘This is a conversation that Australia has to have, to reduce the devastating impact of this disease on young Aussies particularly who have their whole lives ahead of them.’
Melanoma Institute Australia has once again launched its uniquely Australian ‘Game On Mole’ awareness campaign, calling on Aussies to don a limited-edition ‘Game On Mole’ T-shirt and share selfies on social media to generate life-saving conversations around sun safety and early detection of skin changes.
‘The campaign uses Australian humour to relay a serious message,’ Mr Browne said. ‘Its strength lies in its capacity to empower all Australians to be a part of the solution by wearing a t-shirt that begs the question ‘what is that about?’ It’s a great conversation starter about what is largely a preventable disease.’
T-shirt sales also help fund ongoing research by Melanoma Institute Australia into new treatments to save lives from melanoma.
Go to gameonmole.com.au to buy the t-shirt and for life-saving information.
Follow the campaign on socials on facebook @gameonmoleofficial and instagram @gameonmole_
Media - For more information, please contact Jennifer Durante jennifer.durante@melanoma.org.au
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