Skin cancer too risky to neglect
MY FATHER was an outdoors worker. At the “radium clinic” in what is now the Cairns Base Hospital he received constant treatment for “rodent ulcers”.
We now know they were most likely “basal cell carcinomas”, sun- induced.
Showing a complete lack of common sense, I was also an outdoors worker with the inevitable result of skin problems which continue today despite little, if any, outdoors activities. Standard dress used to be shorts and short ( or rolled- up) sleeved shirts.
The episode which was the icing on the cake was finding that an item which appeared on my forehead was a malignant melanoma.
Some dedicated medical angels have kept me breathing and I believe, and hope, that “anno domini” and not cancer will be my undoing.
I read that Australia is the melanoma capital of the world and Townsville is the melanoma capital of Australia.
Most disturbing is the fact that many, many outdoor workers work without shirts and no hat. I have told my story to a number of these workers and in return I get the impression that I am a “silly old b----- d”.
I believe that education about the risks associated with sun exposure may be the answer. However, people also still drive too fast, drive drunk and use drugs. What are the odds? FRANK PYNE, Aitkenvale.