Free skin cancer checks find life-threatening lesions

MORE than 70 people received free skin cancer checks at a booked-out screening in Madeley last weekend.

The Lions Club of Girrawheen and the Lions Cancer Institute ran the free screening event on Saturday, March 30, at Kingsway Shopping Centre.

Club treasurer Brian Anderson said specialists technicians checked 71 people – 44 of whom were female – and referred 13 for further tests.

He said they detected 20 lesions, including nine suspected to be life-threatening.

“Thirty-eight people had never been screened before and 24 had not been checked for over 12 months,” Mr Anderson said.

He said as many people missed out screening tests because it was fully booked, the Girrawheen club would try to host another event later in the year if the mobile clinic was available.

People who are aged 20 or older may be at risk if they can answer “yes” to at least three questions, including whether a family member has had a malignant melanoma.

Other questions include whether people have five or more moles on their forearms, have had moles removed that were not cancers, or have had skin cancer previously.

People are also asked whether they have a mole or freckle that is changing, size, colour or shape; have fair skin that burns rather than tans; had blistering sunburn as a child bad enough to stay off school; or had any inflamed skin sores that did not heal.

Visit lionscancerinstitute.org.au for more information.