Sara's hairdresser noticed some blood on her hairline. It turned out to be a cancer that kills 700 Aussies each year
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Exclusive: A fortuitous visit to the salon uncovered a potentially deadly type of skin cancer on Sara's hairline – and it kills 700 Australians every single year.
The Melbourne mum, then aged 31, was months away from getting married when her hairdresser noticed a spot on her hairline that was bleeding.
"She said, 'Oh, I apologise. I think I've scratched you'," Sara told nine.com.au.
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Sara (pictured right with her husband) was months away from her wedding day when she was diagnosed with a form of skin cancer. Supplied
Do you have a story? Contact reporter April Glover at april.glover@nine.com.au
"I went home and then the lesion never healed. It always remained scabby and dry."
Sara works as an oncology nurse and knows all too well the dangers of waiting too long before seeing a doctor.
After a referral from a GP, she visited a dermatologist who diagnosed it as a basal cell carcinoma (BCC), also known as a keratinocyte cancer.
It was a small spot that could become fatal if left untreated or if it develops into an invasive cancer.
Putting her vanity aside, the bride-to-be agreed to have the spot excised.
"It was a bit bigger than the size of a 10c coin," Sara said.
"And it was nerve-wracking, waiting for the pathology results."
In Sara's case, the operation successfully removed all of the cancerous cells.
She didn't need radiation or chemotherapy and a plastic surgeon was able to limit the scarring ahead of her wedding day.
Her brush with cancer changed her life in a lot of other ways, though.
Putting her vanity aside, the bride-to-be agreed to have the spot excised. Supplied
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Sara is now hypervigilant about protecting herself from harmful UV rays and is trying to educate her younger sisters and son.
"I think we have this misconception that only the older generation, usually farmers or people who have been outside all their lives, working in the sun, are diagnosed with these cancers," Sara said.
"The scare has definitely fast-tracked my sun safe practice."
Australian College of Dermatologists president Adrian Lim said while melanomas kill Australians at a higher rate, BCCs are not trivial.
"BCCs tend to be a bit more well-behaving, but potentially they kill a third of people," Lim said.
In Australia, the statistics around BCC diagnoses are vastly under-reported.
It is believed these non-melanoma cancers kill around 700 people each year, but that number could be much higher.
"We don't keep a register of these non-melanoma skin cancers; we can only guess the numbers," Lim added.
"In some cases they are not treated surgically... they're treated with anti-cancer creams, or they haven't had a biopsy, so they're treated clinically.
"So these are the skin cancers that are not picked up."
Sara practises sun safety with her young son. Supplied
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A major barrier to early skin cancer prevention is the cost of a dermatologist's skin check.
The average cost of a general skin check can be anywhere between $200 and $300.
Sara said it was lucky she was able to pay for a private appointment.
She shudders to think how many Australians delay treatment because of the price.
"People are, especially when they're younger, not prioritising preventative health as much as they could," Sara added.
"We've got a lot of younger people still living at home now because they can't afford to live and rent somewhere, particularly in our metro cities.
"And then we're asking them to pay upwards of $100 to get their skin checked.
"It would be great if it were reimbursed."
Australia's first-ever skin cancer scorecard released last month found that skin cancer costs the health system $1.87 billion each year.
Lim said this issue is particularly felt in regional areas.
Many Australians living away from capital cities need to travel to metro areas for specialist appointments, costing them far more than the initial bill.
He hopes dermatologists and GPs will be sensitive to this cost factor when treating patients.
Early detection can also begin at home too.
"The key thing is to not ignore any spots that have come up," Lim said.
"And if you have a spot or a sore that is still there after four weeks, have it checked out.
"Don't be so complacent."
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