Calls for free skin cancer checks for young people

A medical expert and skin cancer victim say free melanoma checks could help save young lives.

New Zealand has one of the highest skin cancer rates in the world, with over 4000 people diagnosed with melanoma each year.

Despite this, the cost of a full body screening for skin cancer in Auckland ranges from $150 to $300, according to leading Auckland and national companies advertising the service.

The Skin Surgery Clinic in Blockhouse Bay is one of the few clinics in the country to provide free mole checks.

Director Dr Sharad Paul has performed over 7000 free checks a year since his clinic opened in 1996, and has seen many young people come through his doors.

“I do see a lot of young people, but typically they tend to come after an event, in the sense that someone in their family got melanoma or it’s been in the news and something’s triggered them to come,” Dr Paul said.

Some people even travel from the South Island to gain access to the free checks.

“I would at least like to see them [free checks] start in other cities because I get people coming up from Dunedin and Queenstown and it would be beneficial if people had more access," he said.

Former AUT psychology student Katie Hayden started getting routine free checks from Dr Paul while she was a student, and feels "extremely grateful" after the checks helped discover a cancerous mole on her chest.

“Because it was free, it made it a lot more accessible and I probably wouldn’t have done it or at least done it so soon if it wasn’t free,” Ms Hayden said.

“Those free mole checks saved my life…so it’s important to have more awareness and more accessibility to free checks because cost is a big barrier for people.”

Kapiti building apprentice Codi Morgan, 21, who is battling stage four melanoma, is one of the many people who could have benefited from free checks.

Mr Morgan’s grandmother Jalna Wilkins, who spoke on his behalf as he is too unwell to conduct interviews, is appalled by the lack of funding put into the diagnosis and treatment of melanoma.

“It’s a shocking state of affairs where we have such a high UV rate with such a terrible impact and we’re not doing enough to protect people,” Mrs Wilkins said.

“People have a chance to live a lot longer and maybe even be cured and we’re being denied that because there is a cost element.”

CEO of Melanoma NZ Linda Flay encouraged young people to protect their skin as the organisation’s campaign, Melanoma March, draws to a close next week.

“Young people think they’re a little bit indestructible, so what we’re saying to them is to be aware of your skin and look out for any changes,” Mrs Flay said.

Mrs Flay said that free mole checks were not an avenue that Melanoma NZ had explored yet.