In this episode of the Spot On Podcast, host Peter Birch welcomes guests Pauline Ryan and Carl Morehouse to share their experience with melanoma, and the challenges they faced as a family with young children. 

Pauline, discovered a concerning lesion/spot on her neck while pregnant with her second child. After being diagnosed with stage three melanoma, Pauline discusses how she worked hard to balance her children's needs over her own health, while also recognising the importance of self-care. 

Throughout the episode, Pauline discusses her mental health journey, including feelings of guilt and anxiety. She emphasises the importance of prioritising oneself, practising mindfulness and meditation, and finding solace in activities like swimming and exercise.

Pauline's husband Carl shares his perspective on supporting Pauline and the challenges he faced in balancing work and family responsibilities. Carl also talks about societal expectations for fathers and mothers and the importance of teamwork in their relationship.

Throughout the episode, the focus remains on their family and giving their daughters the best life possible, while also expressing gratitude for the moments they share and the support they receive.

The Spot On Podcast, brought to you by MSCAN, engages with leading clinicians, researchers, and advocates to increase knowledge and support for those affected by a diagnosis. The podcast provides valuable insights on the lived experience of melanoma and skin cancer.

The Spot On Podcast is produced independently and freely, thanks to the contribution of our interviewees. We are grateful for their time and expertise.

Please note, the content discussed in this episode is for informational purposes only and should not be considered as medical advice. It is always important to consult a medical professional for advice relating to your specific situation.

Cutaneous Lymphoma (CL) or lymphoma of the skin, is a rare type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma that can appear as a rash or bumps on the skin. In this episode we speak to four distinguished guests about cutaneous lymphoma, its signs and symptoms, how it is different from other skin cancers, how it can progress if not discovered early and treatment options.

In this episode, MSCAN speaks with Dr Carrie Van der Weyden, a Consultant Haematologist and researcher based at Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Melbourne in their Multidisciplinary Skin Lymphoma Clinic. We also chat with A/Prof Chris McCormack, who has over 25 years of dermatology experience and is a leading dermatological expert in cutaneous lymphoma. A/Prof Belinda Campbell provides her expertise and knowledge, as the Deputy Director of Radiation Oncology at Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre and Honorary Clinical Associate Professor at The University of Melbourne. And finally MSCAN talks with Odette Buelens, an established Nurse Practitioner specilaising in skin lymphoma and is deeply involved in patient care with those with cutaneous lymphoma.

The Spot On Podcast is brought to you by the Melanoma & Skin Cancer Advocacy Network (MSCAN) who are providing a new, innovative approach to tackle Australia’s national cancer. MSCAN engages with Australia’s leading clinicians, researchers and advocates with the aim of increasing the knowledge of those affected by a diagnosis.

MSCAN is grateful to the clinicians interviewed in our podcast series. They have all provided their time and input freely and independently.

The content discussed in these episodes is for information purposes only and should not be considered as medical advice. Please make sure you speak with a medical professional for advice relating to your own specific situation.

In this episode we look at the patient story. John Mason, who has spent much of his life outdoors around rural Australia and currently living off-grid in Qld. John was diagnosed with Merkel Cell Carcinoma (MCC), which is a rare but aggressive form of skin cancer that can easily spread to other parts of the body if it is not diagnosed early. Australia has a higher incidence of MCC than other countries around the world and is likely caused by an increased exposure to UV radiation.

John tells us candidly about his diagnosis, treatment and treating team, the regional approach to care, and comes out the other side a changed man - grateful, humble and incredibly positive.

Make sure you share this episode with a friend or family member if you think they will get some value.

The Spot On Podcast is brought to you by the Melanoma & Skin Cancer Advocacy Network (MSCAN) who are providing a new, innovative approach to tackle Australia’s national cancer. MSCAN engages with Australia’s leading clinicians, researchers and advocates with the aim of increasing the knowledge of those affected by a diagnosis.

MSCAN is grateful to the clinicians interviewed in our podcast series. They have all provided their time and input freely and independently.

The content discussed in these episodes is for information purposes only and should not be considered as medical advice. Please make sure you speak with a medical professional for advice relating to your own specific situation.

Merkel Cell Carcinoma or MCC, is a less common type of skin cancer. It can be aggressive but it can be treated, especially when found at an early stage. In this episode we talk to three distinguished experts: Dr Michelle Goh is a consultant dermatologist, who has a special interest in complex skin cancers. Medical Oncologist Dr Wen Xu, is committed to clinical research with a strong interest in immuno-oncology, target therapies and drug development. A/Prof David Kok is a Radiation Oncologist and medical educator who works at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre and the University of Melbourne.

Make sure you share this episode with a friend or family member if you think they will get some value.

The Spot On Podcast is brought to you by the Melanoma & Skin Cancer Advocacy Network (MSCAN) who are providing a new, innovative approach to tackle Australia’s national cancer. MSCAN engages with Australia’s leading clinicians, researchers and advocates with the aim of increasing the knowledge of those affected by a diagnosis.

MSCAN is grateful to the clinicians interviewed in our podcast series. They have all provided their time and input freely and independently.

The content discussed in these episodes is for information purposes only and should not be considered as medical advice. Please make sure you speak with a medical professional for advice relating to your own specific situation.

Ocular melanoma is a less common type of melanoma that can be found in different parts of the eye. 

It affects one in 6-8 million people, and like any melanoma or skin cancer, is better when diagnosed early. 

In this episode we delve into:

• the symptoms and what potentially causes an ocular melanoma
• How it may be diagnosed and the level of risk
• treatment options and a treating team
• What happens after treatment
• And clinical trials around ocular melanoma.

To help us understand more about ocular melanoma, we're fortunate enough to speak with Dr Li-Anne Lim, an ophthalmologist and ocular oncologist, with a special interest in managing patients with cancer of the eye. We also speak with Professor Anthony Joshua, medical oncologist, and Chair of the Australian Ocular Melanoma Alliance.

Make sure you share this episode with a friend or family member if you think they will get some value.

Remember that all the content discussed in these episodes is for information purposes. Please make sure you speak with a medical professional for advice relating to your own specific situation.

This podcast was brought to you by the Melanoma and Skin Cancer Advocacy Network - MSCAN, who are providing a new, innovative approach to tackle Australia's national cancer. For more information, visit MSCAN.org.au

Welcome to Series 3 of the Spot On podcast.

In Series 1, we focused on the fundamentals of skin cancer, interviewing some of Australia's leading clinicians on the topic. In this season, we're focused more on the human side of a diagnosis.

Series 2 we looked more on the human side of a diagnosis.

In this series, we take a step back and look holistically at a skin cancer diagnosis – providing the answers to the questions many people have about looking after their mental health related to their skin cancer diagnosis.

Dr Maria Ftanou is the Director of Psychosocial Oncology at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Melbourne. There are many aspects of living well after a diagnosis. In this podcast we focus particularly at how we can manage our anxious thoughts, and cope with uncertainty after being diagnosed with melanoma or skin cancer. 

The Spot On Podcast is brought to you by the Melanoma & Skin Cancer Advocacy Network (MSCAN) - who are providing a new, innovative approach to tackle Australia’s national cancer. MSCAN engages with Australia’s leading clinicians, researchers and advocates with the aim of increasing the knowledge of those affected by a diagnosis.

MSCAN is grateful to the clinicians interviewed in our podcast series. They have all provided their time and input freely and independently.

The content discussed in these episodes is for information purposes only and should not be considered as medical advice. Please make sure you speak with a medical professional for advice relating to your own specific situation.

Welcome to Series 3 of the Spot On podcast.

In Series 1, we focused on the fundamentals of skin cancer, interviewing some of Australia's leading clinicians on the topic. In this season, we're focused more on the human side of a diagnosis.

Series 2 we looked more on the human side of a diagnosis.

In this series, we take a step back and look holistically at a skin cancer diagnosis – providing the answers to the questions many people have about looking after their mental health related to their skin cancer diagnosis.

Dr. Eleanor De Ath-Miller is a registered psychologist with a Doctoral degree in clinical neuropsychology. She is a coach and consultant in private practice, and also works as a Senior Clinical Neuropsychologist at a public hospital in Melbourne. Eleanor is always looking for ways to make evidence-based health and wellbeing information more meaningful for individuals, leaders and teams, so they can tune into their bodies and minds, manage change and challenge, and do more of what matters in life.

We look at how you may feel about a skin cancer diagnosis and ways to adjust, what are normal reactions to a diagnosis, how to manage stress and other coping strategies, and preparing the people around you.

The Spot On Podcast is brought to you by the Melanoma & Skin Cancer Advocacy Network (MSCAN) - who are providing a new, innovative approach to tackle Australia’s national cancer. MSCAN engages with Australia’s leading clinicians, researchers and advocates with the aim of increasing the knowledge of those affected by a diagnosis.

MSCAN is grateful to the clinicians interviewed in our podcast series. They have all provided their time and input freely and independently.

The content discussed in these episodes is for information purposes only and should not be considered as medical advice. Please make sure you speak with a medical professional for advice relating to your own specific situation.

Welcome to Season 2 of the Spot On podcast.  In Season 1, we focused on the fundamentals of skin cancer, interviewing some of Australia's leading clinicians on the topic.

In this season, we're focused more on the human side of a diagnosis. 

MSCAN is thrilled to have renowned journalist Deborah Knight involved and interviewing patients about their journey with skin cancer and the road ahead.

In this episode you will hear from Professor Alan Cooper; a Clinical Dermatologist himself, who was diagnosed with stage III melanoma which progressed to stage IV.  In this episode, Alan is joined by his treating clinician - Professor Georgina Long.

Professor Alan Cooper

Professor Alan Cooper was diagnosed with stage III melanoma in 2013, and despite multiple surgeries and two trials of experimental treatment it progressed to stage IV. The melanoma eventually responded to a combination of radiation therapy and immunotherapy which commenced in early 2017.

At the time of diagnosis, Alan was Clinical Professor of Dermatology at the Northern Clinical School of the University of Sydney, and Head of the Department of Dermatology at Royal North Shore Hospital. Over the years he has served in a number of capacities in The Australasian College of Dermatologists and has been involved in the training and assessment of medical students and dermatology advanced trainees. He supervised a research unit and was involved in fund raising for dermatology research through state, national and international foundations.

Alan is a Director of MSCAN.

Professor Georgina Long

She leads an extensive clinical trials team and laboratory at MIA, with a focus on targeted therapies and immuno-oncology in melanoma.

Professor Long is the author of over 370 peer-reviewed publications in clinical and translational research in melanoma.

Welcome to Season 2 of the Spot On podcast.  In Season 1, we focused on the fundamentals of skin cancer, interviewing some of Australia's leading clinicians on the topic.

In this season, we're focused more on the human side of a diagnosis. 

MSCAN is thrilled to have renowned journalist Deborah Knight involved and interviewing patients about their journey with skin cancer and the road ahead.

In this episode, Deb speaks with Deborah Hutton, who has publicly shared her experiences with skin cancer. 

Deb has made her career as a fashion model, an editor of The Australian Women’s Weekly, a TV presenter, and entrepreneur.

In this conversation, Deb openly shares her reflections on her experience with skin cancer and advice to all Australians when it comes to being skin serious.

Welcome to Season 2 of the Spot On podcast.  In Season 1, we focused on the fundamentals of skin cancer, interviewing some of Australia's leading clinicians on the topic.

In this season, we're focused more on the human side of a diagnosis. 

MSCAN is thrilled to have renowned journalist Deborah Knight involved and interviewing patients about their journey with skin cancer and the road ahead.

In this episode you will hear from Doug Phayer, who has bravely faced non-melanoma skin cancer and Dr Patricia Terrill from Doug’s clinical team.

Doug Phayer

Doug was first diagnosed with skin cancer at age 50, and since then he has been through 23 surgeries, and radiation therapy to remove squamous cell carcinomas (SCC’s) from his body. 

Doug’s 23rd surgery was the biggest and the worst. It took 10 hours and he lost the left side of his face and his ear to the SCC. During this surgery, they found that his lymph nodes were full of cancer. The skin cancers continued to appear. Doug has been successfully treated with immunotherapy and is now back to one of his main passions – fishing!

Dr Patricia Terrill (Tricia)

Ms Terrill is a Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon. She trained in Victoria undertook further training in the UK. Since 1993, she has been a consultant Plastic Surgeon employed in both the public and private sectors. In public, she is employed by the Peninsula Health Care Network, being Head of the Plastic Surgery Unit at Frankston Hospital. She has held this role since 1996 and developed the unit from 2 single surgeons to a large unit now with 12 consultants and 6 registrars. In private she works at Peninsula Private Hospital.

Patricia has an active surgical practice that includes a specialisation in skin cancer. She believes that full skin examinations are an essential part of skin cancer management.