About the Guest:

Professor Georgina Long AO: Co-Medical Director at Melanoma Institute Australia and Chair of Melanoma Medical Oncology, Professor Georgina Long is a leading figure in melanoma research and treatment. As the joint recipient of the 2024 Australian of the Year award, her work has been pivotal in transforming melanoma.

Janet Evans and Dr. Amelia Haines delve into Australia's alarming melanoma rates with Professor Georgina Long from the Melanoma Institute Australia. They discuss prevention, early detection, and cutting-edge treatments for melanoma. Georgina shares insights on the influence of social media trends, the importance of knowing your skin, and her efforts to implement a national high-risk screening program. With a mix of personal anecdotes and scientific breakthroughs, this episode offers a comprehensive look at combating Australia's 'national cancer.' Ideal for those looking to understand skin cancer risks and advancements in treatment.

Key Takeaways:

• Melanoma Awareness and Prevention: Understand the importance of sun safety and early detection. Slip, slop, slap, seek, and slide to protect your skin.

• Innovative Treatments: Learn about the groundbreaking immune therapies that have significantly increased melanoma survival rates.

• Risk Factors and Screening: Identify what makes someone high-risk for melanoma and the importance of regular skin checks, especially for those with fair skin or a family history.

• Public Health Campaigns: Discover the need for coordinated, enduring public health messages to change attitudes towards tanning and sun exposure.

• Personal Responsibility: Emphasize the role everyone can play in melanoma prevention through behavior changes and awareness.

Notable Quotes:

1. "Achieving zero deaths from melanoma is a marathon, not a sprint."

2. "Remember, a tan is your skin's SOS signal that it's under stress."

3. "For every dollar spent on prevention, we get at least $4 back within the next ten to 20 years."

4. "Immune treatments work by interrupting the handshake between a cancer cell and your immune system."

5. "It's never too late to be sun safe, even if you're 80."

Resources:

• Melanoma Institute Australia: www.melanoma.org.au

• Melanoma Risk Tool: www.melanomarisk.org.au

• Facebook: She Wasn't Born Yesterday Group

Click here to contact Janet & Amelia or ask them a question or click here to contact the She Wasn't Born Yesterday team!

She Wasn’t Born Yesterday, hosted by Janet Evans, a former M&C Saatchi advertising creative and Dr Amelia Haines, a sexual and relationship therapist, who have written Australia’s first book on empty nest syndrome called Empty Next.

Visit Empty Nest Chicks for more resources, click here for their book, or join the discussion on Facebook.

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