News release

From: Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health

Landmark study highlights enormous scale of Queensland skin cancer care

A major new study published today reveals the hundreds of thousands of skin cancer appointments and medical procedures Queenslanders are attending and undergoing each year - prompting experts to call for further investment in prevention campaigns to protect public health and ease pressure on the healthcare system.

The eight-year study followed over 40,300 Queenslanders aged 40-69, tracking the number, types and costs of skin cancer services used. During the study period, study participants had more than 245,000 skin cancer services, accounting for 2.4% of all direct health service costs. The researchers estimate that equates to Queenslanders aged 40-69 attending around 1.49 million skin cancer appointments and procedures each year.

The QSkin Study, run by QIMR Berghofer, is the world’s largest cohort study focused on skin cancer. The latest findings have been published today in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health.

Other findings from the new paper include:

• 71% of the adults in the study used a skin cancer service
• 51% had one or more skin biopsies
• 36% had one or more non-melanoma skin cancers removed
• 34% had a mole or spot excised to rule out melanoma, 5% had a melanoma removed
• 8% were admitted to hospital to have their skin cancers treated

Dr Daniel Lindsay, lead author from Cancer Council Queensland, says the study reveals for the first time the huge number of skin cancer appointments and treatments Queensland adults are experiencing.

“Queenslanders are very aware of the human costs of skin cancer. Most of us will be diagnosed with it at some point in our lifetime or have loved ones who have been affected.

“This study adds a new dimension to our understanding of Queensland’s skin cancer burden and highlights the thousands of medical appointments and procedures undertaken, and the proportion of health spending dedicated to the disease.

“Queensland is the skin cancer capital of the world, and this study shows we are paying a high price for the title — literally, with our personal and government spending. More than two cents in every health dollar spent on Queensland adults’ health is related to skin cancer.

"The estimated costs to the Government for skin cancer treatment were estimated to be over $50 million for this study population alone - suggesting the real cost across the Queensland population is well into the hundreds of millions,” Dr Lindsay says.

Professor David Whiteman AM from QIMR Berghofer, senior author on the paper, said it’s important to remember that behind each of the statistics is a Queenslander grappling with the reality of a skin cancer diagnosis.

“This study reinforces the enormous impact that skin cancer is having on the lives of Queenslanders. It is astonishing to find that 71 per cent of adults in the study used a skin cancer service over the 8 year follow-up period, and that one in two adults had at least one skin biopsy. These figures highlight the frankly incredible burden of skin cancer in this part of the world.

"The study also highlights the exceptionally high cost of excisions for non-melanoma skin cancers. 44% of government costs and 41% of out-of-pocket costs were for non-melanoma cancer excisions.”

“The great tragedy is that skin cancer is largely a preventable disease. We know how to prevent these cancers from occurring and we also know that skin cancer prevention is highly cost effective. We need to invest in skin cancer prevention now so that we can reduce costs in the future.”

Adjunct Professor Terry Slevin, CEO, Public Health Association of Australia, says that the study findings are eye watering.

“Queenslanders, and in fact Australians, continue to pay an enormous process for preventable skin cancers. The price is in terms of their health, disfigurement and a stonking amount of both government and individual’s money.

“Skin cancer prevention is a flagship example of underinvestment in preventive health.  Despite studies like this we continue to miss the chance to prevent disease, and we pay the price. Skin cancer prevention works. Preventive health works.  It saves money, prevents disease and premature deaths.”

Table: Out of pocket costs for skin cancer services over an average of 8.5-years of follow-up in a cohort of 40,338 individuals.