Slip, slop, slap – Early Stage Melanoma
With summer well and truly underway, chances are you have been enjoying the great outdoors, especially while on your holiday break.
With this in mind, organisations such as Cancer Council Australia have taken the opportunity to remind all Australians that protecting themselves when the UV levels are 3 or above and keeping a close eye on their skin is the best way to reduce the risk of skin cancer. And for good reason too.
Consider the following statistics as published by Cancer Council Australia:
• Sunburn causes 95% of melanomas, the most deadly form of skin cancer, and
• In Australia, almost 14% of adults, 24% of teenagers and 8% of children are sunburnt on an average summer weekend. Many people get sunburnt when they are taking part in water sports and activities at the beach or a pool, as well as gardening or having a barbeque.
More specifically and with regards to melanomas, Melanoma Institute Australia notes that:
• Australia has the highest incidence of melanoma in the world
• Melanoma rates are still on the rise with an estimated 392 extra cases per year
• More than 12,500 new cases of melanoma are diagnosed in Australia every year, and
• More than 1,500 Australians die from melanoma each year.
Indeed, during last year’s National Skin Cancer Action Week (17 – 23 November 2013), Chair of Cancer Council Australia’s Skin Cancer Committee, Louise Baldwin, said over the next three years, 44,000 Australians (40 a day) would be told they had the deadliest form of skin cancer, melanoma. Almost two in three would be men.
The good news is that melanoma is often identifiable at an early stage where simple treatment can result in complete cure. It is important then that at this critical time your clients have access to the best medical treatment available. This is Hall Finance & Insurance Solutions can help.
ClearView scores an ‘A’ rating with IRESS for Early Stage Melanoma, a condition covered under the Trauma Plus Option. ClearView will pay a partial trauma benefit for the presence of one or more melanomas which are both less than 1mm in Breslow thickness and less than Clark Level 3 depth of invasion as determined by histological examination. Should the melanoma have a thickness greater than 1mm or a depth of invasion equal to or greater than Clark Level 3, a full Trauma Cover benefit amount will be paid.
Summary
Prevention is better than the cure, however when the cure is the only option, ClearView will be there to provide you with the funds they need to to access the best medical treatment available.