Welcome to "Check Mate" - an initiative by the Hunter Melanoma Foundation (HMF) to create awareness about the importance of early detection of melanoma particularly for men.
Too many men are dying from melanoma in the Hunter. In fact over 50% of all melanoma deaths are men over 50 - a group comprising just 12% of the population! When you consider melanoma is one of the most curable of all cancers when detected early - this is a disturbing statistic. When melanoma is picked up early there is a 95%* cure rate, so it makes sense that if men get a simple skin check and catch melanoma before the damage is done, there is a good chance of reducing this appalling death rate. In a nutshell, the message from the Check Mate campaign is “a ten minute skin check could save your life”.
Nine years ago Paul Corbett lost his battle with melanoma at age 56. In 2002, following surgery to remove brain tumours, Paul courageously helped the HMF raise awareness about melanoma prevention and encouraged men to get get skin checks. It would seem the message needs to be driven home again. This time, Paul’s widow, Veronica - together with Lisa and Carole who were also widowed by melanoma - bravely talk about how the loss of their life partner affected them and their families. The campaign also features 52 year old Lawrie, who luckily caught his melanoma early and survived.
