Thanks to the partnership between Skin Check Champions, the University of South Australia and the Hospital Research Foundation, a skin cancer clinic has launched at the Tour Down Under in Victor Harbor.
The pop-up clinics are nurse-led, free and use algorithms to detect skin cancer, which affects 2 out of every 3 Australians.
The program is currently piloted in regional South Australia, where skin cancer rates are up by 31%.
The University of South Australia Professor in Cancer Nursing Marion Eckert says, “Skin cancer prevention programs are underfunded and under-resourced, especially outside large cities, despite melanoma being the third most diagnosed cancer in Australia and melanoma killing four Australians every day.”
Skin Check Champions CEO Scott Maggs says the world-class AI technology has performed as well as dermatologists. However, control trials and more research are needed to validate the algorithms.
“Our goal is to halve the number of Aussies who die from melanoma and increase the number of skin checks in Australia by 25% by running a targeted AI-supported national skin check program,” Mr Maggs says.
Residents in regional areas can access the service via pop-up clinics at local community events like the Tour Down Under.
The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare provides skin cancer costs the health system $400 million a year, with 66% of Australians likely to get some form of skin cancer and more than 15,000 Australians diagnosed with melanoma – the most aggressive form of skin cancer.
“More than 98% of skin cancers can be successfully treated if they’re found early, which is why getting checked is so important,” Professor Eckert says.
The inaugural AI-powered skin cancer clinic will be stationed at Warland Reserve from 19-21 January in collaboration with the Tour Down Under and Victor Harbor Art Show.
