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 Jarryd Roughead who faced a diagnosis of advanced melanoma, and Dr Donna Milne from his treating team.

Jarryd Roughead

Jarryd is well recognised as an AFL superstar, and a very successful football career playing for Hawthorn. He’s also overcome advanced melanoma.

Jarryd was first diagnosed with a melanoma on his lip in 2015. The melanoma was removed, and life continued along well. During a routine check-up in 2016, a scan showed that the melanoma had moved to his lungs.

Jarryd was treated with immunotherapy. Despite some challenging side effects, the treatment worked. Jarryd Roughead’s journey of advanced melanoma is detailed in his book Roughy.

Dr Donna Milne

Donna is a registered nurse and has worked at Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Melbourne since 2002. For the last 12 years Donna has worked as a clinical nurse consultant in the melanoma and skin service. More recently she has also taken on a nurse consultant team lead role and is part of the nursing leadership team at Peter Mac. Donna is also involved in national committees and advisory boards providing advice on patient resources, education for nurses and optimal care for patients with melanoma.

Donna’s PhD investigated the perceptions of palliative care services held by people with advanced cancer. Her other research interests include understanding the needs and experiences of patients with melanoma receiving targeted and immune therapies and their family members.

Overview: In this episode we learn what a clinical trial is, how they are developed and why they are so important. We also learn about participating in clinical trials, factors to consider and what the process is to get involved.

Prof Mark Shackleton is the Director of Oncology at Alfred Health, a Professor of Oncology at Monash University, a Victorian Cancer Agency Clinical Research Fellow and Chair of Melanoma and Skin Cancer Trials Ltd. After training in medical oncology and at the Ludwig Institute in Melbourne, he undertook PhD studies at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research and postdoctoral work at the University of Michigan, USA. He has received several major prizes for his research, most recently a 2016 Victorian Cancer Agency Clinical Research Fellowship and in 2012, he was awarded the Australian Science Minister’s Prize for Life Scientist of the Year.

Dr Megan Lyle is a Medical Oncologist with special interests in cancer immunotherapy, melanoma and other skin cancers and gastrointestinal malignancies.  Dr Lyle works at the Liz Plummer Cancer Care Centre at Cairns Hospital, Response Oncology, Far North Day Hospital and Cairns Private Hospital. Dr Lyle also holds a senior lecturer position with James Cook University. Dr Lyle received her Fellowship from the Royal Australasian College of Physicians in 2013 having undertaken medical oncology advanced training in Newcastle, NSW. She subsequently completed a clinical research fellowship at Melanoma Institute Australia, Sydney in 2013-14. Dr Lyle is published in major international peer reviewed journals, including the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

Topics Covered In This Episode:

• What a clinical trial is, and why we need them

For More Information:

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.

Overview:

In this episode, we learn about Non Melanoma Skin Cancers (NMSC). What are the types of NMSC, what are the factors that contribute to having one, how are they detected and what are the treatment options?

Topics Covered In This Episode:

• What is a non melanoma skin cancer (NMSC)

For More Information:

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.

Overview:

In this episode, we learn about advanced melanoma; in particular stage III and IV melanoma, and the different kinds of gene mutations and why they are important.  Later in the episode we will talk about different treatment options for melanoma.  

Professor Grant McArthur is a Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians and holds a Ph.D. in Medical Biology. He is the Executive Director of the Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre and inaugural Lorenzo Galli Chair of Melanoma and Skin Cancers at the University of Melbourne. He is also Head of the Molecular Oncology Laboratory, Cancer Research, and a Senior Consultant Medical Oncologist, Cancer Medicine at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre.

Associate Professor David Gyorki is a consultant surgical oncologist at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, specialising in the management of patients with melanoma and soft tissue sarcoma. He is also the Research and Education Lead in Melanoma and Skin Cancer at the Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre.

Topics Covered In This Episode:

• What is stage III and stage IV melanoma

For More Information:

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.

Overview:

In this episode, we cover the fundamentals and treatment of early stage melanoma.

Speakers:

Associate Professor Victoria Mar is the Director of the Victorian Melanoma Service at The Alfred Hospital in Melbourne, and Adjunct Associate Professor at the School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University.  She is a board member of the Australian and New Zealand Melanoma Trials Group and the Skin and Cancer Foundation. She has authored and co-authored a number of chapters for the Cancer Council Australia Melanoma Guidelines and is Clinical Lead for the Melanoma Clinical Outcomes Registry.

Emeritus Professor John Thompson was Chair of Melanoma and Surgical Oncology at the University of Sydney from 1999 to 2019 and was Executive Director of Melanoma Institute Australia from 1998 to 2016.  He has been chairman of the Australian Melanoma Management Guidelines Working Party since 2005, and was chairman of the ANZ Melanoma Trials Group from 2002 to 2013. Professor Thompson has authored over 900 peer-reviewed scientific articles and book chapters and serves on the editorial boards of several major international journals. 

Topics Covered In This Episode:

• What exactly is melanoma and how is it caused

For More Information:

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.

2 out of 3 Australians will be diagnosed with skin cancer by the age of 70.

In Australia there are over 1 million GP visits per year due to skin cancer.

And skin cancer accounts for 80% of newly diagnosed cancers.

We have the highest incidence of skin cancer in the world. So it’s time for Australia to get skin serious about our national cancer.  

The Spot On Podcast is a free resource that helps answer all the questions you have about skin cancer, and gives you the knowledge and support about the things you didn’t even realise you needed yet!

In Season 1 of the Spot On podcast, we cover the fundamentals of skin cancer, having conversations with a number of leading clinicians and global experts on the treatment and diagnosis of melanoma and other skin cancers.  We also cover some of the innovations and research about skin cancer that is taking place, which give us hope, as we look towards reducing the impact of skin cancer in Australia.

This podcast will give you a baseline understanding and knowledge about skin cancer, and help navigate you through that journey ahead through diagnosis and treatment

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. 

So, share this podcast with someone you know who might want to learn more or needs support on that journey of skin cancer diagnosis and treatment.  Also make sure you follow the Spot On podcast on your favourite podcast player so you can hear new episodes as they are released, and check out mscan.org.au to learn more about the advocacy work going on to help get Australia skin serious.