Jane Prentice (Ryan, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to support the member for Dunkley's motion on skin cancer. As my colleagues have already acknowledged throughout this debate, the incidence of skin cancer in Australia is the highest in the world, and is two to three times that seen in Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom. In Australia skin cancers account for around 80 per cent of all newly diagnosed cancers. Queensland is world renowned for its warm and sunny weather, which lends itself to the outdoor lifestyle that so many of us enjoy—whether it be at the beach or at a backyard barbeque with friends. Sadly, however, our increased exposure to the sun means that Queensland has the highest rate of skin cancer in the world. Indeed I, like many of my friends, regularly have treatment for skin cancer after many, many years of doing the wrong thing.

According to the latest figures available from Cancer Council Queensland, 3,007 Queenslanders were diagnosed with a melanoma of the skin in 2009, with 250 dying from the disease. Of those, 1,757 were male and 1,250 were female. In addition to those diagnosed with a melanoma, approximately 133,000 non-melanoma skin cancer cases are diagnosed in Queensland each year. Experts agree that early detection will significantly reduce the number of Australians who lose their lives to skin cancer every year. Beyond that, there are a number of simple measures we can all take to prevent skin cancer: minimise your time in the sun between 10am and 3pm, seek shade where possible, wear suitable clothing that provides good sun protection, wear a hat that also protects your neck and ears and apply SPF-30 or higher, water resistant sunscreen at least 20 minutes before going out into the sun.

As members of this parliament know, I am an extremely proud supporter of the research being undertaken at the University of Queensland in my electorate. I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the outstanding work of one of my constituents, Professor Adele Green, who is this year's Queensland Australian of the Year. Professor Adele Green, who holds an adjunct appointment with University of Queensland's School of Population Health, is a leading melanoma researcher based at the Queensland Institute of Medical Research. Professor Green has been at the forefront of melanoma research for 20 years. As head of Cancer and Population Studies at the Queensland Institute of Medical Research, her work focuses on assessing the impact of environmental factors in the cause and prognosis of melanomas, as well as the effect of genes on the development of melanoma. Professor Green's research establishing that daily sunscreen use can halve the risk of melanoma set the benchmark for prevention. Recently, Professor Green was lead author on a study of more than 26,000 Queenslanders diagnosed early with thin melanomas, which revealed a 20 year survival rate for 96 per cent of patients. The study has been described as a blueprint for the assessing thin melanomas with a risk of metastatic disease. Professor Green has also been recognised for her contribution to public health, including Indigenous health, and her leadership in the wider scientific community. I congratulate Professor Adele Green on her work, which is benefiting not just Queenslanders but all Australians.

I also recognise the work of a team of researchers at the University of Queensland's Institute of Molecular Bioscience, whose work was named as one of the 10-best research projects of 2012. IMB director, Professor Brandon Wainright, his co-chief investigator, Pritinder Kaur, and their team are researching skin cancer and, in particular, basal cell carcinoma. Professor Wainright and his team have made great headway in understanding the genetic pathway behind skin cancer and generating the replenishment of damaged skin. The team's first major breakthrough came with a discovery of the gene named 'patched', which causes basal cell carcinoma. In mapping the gene, they discovered that 'patched' is part of a larger genetic pathway called the 'hedgehog pathway'. The hedgehog pathway is a very important pathway that almost every organ in our body uses to develop. However, it also contributes to the development of a wide range of tumour types. The team is now working to prove that the cells generated by manipulating the hedgehog pathway are true stem cells, and they can cause the hedgehog pathway to affect, repair and regenerate skin. This is important work which has far-reaching applications, including for the treatment of burns and improving our ability to heal wounds. While this groundbreaking research will undoubtedly assist those with more advanced forms of skin cancer, it is essential that Queenslanders regularly examine their skin for signs of skin cancer, especially if they are in the older age group or have sun-damaged skin or multiple moles and freckles, because in doing so, and combined with ongoing research— (Time expired)

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