Australia has a complicated relationship with the sun. We love the outdoors, the beach, and warm weather — but our climate and lifestyle come with a significant health cost. Australia consistently records among the highest rates of skin cancer in the world, and the statistics are stark. Understanding your risk is the first step toward protecting yourself. At Camberwell Health, our accredited skin cancer clinic in Camberwell provides full body skin checks, skin cancer treatments, and specialist care for the local community.
The Statistics Behind Australia’s Skin Cancer Problem
The numbers are sobering. According to the Cancer Council Australia, skin cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in the country, and more than two out of three Australians will be diagnosed with some form of skin cancer by the time they turn 70.
Melanoma — the most aggressive form — kills approximately 1,800 Australians every year. Thousands more are diagnosed with basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma annually. Despite this, skin cancer remains one of the most preventable and, when caught early, most treatable cancers.
Key Risk Factors for Skin Cancer
Skin cancer does not discriminate entirely, but certain factors significantly increase your risk:
Skin type: People with fair or pale skin, light hair, and light-coloured eyes are at greatest risk, as they have less melanin to protect against UV damage. However, people with darker skin can also develop skin cancer and should not assume they are immune.
UV exposure history: The amount of sun exposure you accumulate over your lifetime — and particularly the number of sunburns you have experienced, especially during childhood — is one of the strongest predictors of skin cancer risk. A single severe sunburn in childhood doubles the lifetime risk of melanoma.
Mole count and type: Having a large number of moles (particularly more than 50) or having unusually shaped or coloured moles (atypical or dysplastic naevi) increases your risk.
Family history: If a first-degree relative has been diagnosed with melanoma, your own risk is significantly elevated.
Previous skin cancer: Having had skin cancer once increases your risk of developing it again.
Tanning bed use: Artificial UV radiation from tanning beds carries real risk and is a contributing factor in melanoma diagnoses, particularly in younger adults.
Immune suppression: People with suppressed immune systems — including organ transplant recipients or those taking immunosuppressant medications — are at significantly higher risk of skin cancer.
Outdoor occupation or lifestyle: People who spend large amounts of time outdoors for work or recreation accumulate more UV exposure over their lifetime.
UV Radiation: Not Just About Sunburn
It’s worth understanding that UV damage is cumulative and doesn’t always involve burning. Every unprotected exposure contributes to your lifetime total, even on overcast days. UV radiation is the primary cause of skin cancer and is also responsible for premature skin ageing. In Australia, the UV index can exceed the safe threshold even in winter, particularly in the northern states — but Melbourne is not immune to high UV days, particularly in spring and summer.
The UV index reaches 3 or above in Melbourne on most days between September and April — this is the threshold at which sun protection is recommended.
Reducing Your Risk
While you can’t change your genetics or undo past sun exposure, there is good evidence that consistent sun protection from now on makes a meaningful difference. The Cancer Council Australia recommends:
- Daily use of SPF 50+ broad-spectrum sunscreen, applied 20 minutes before sun exposure and reapplied every two hours
- Protective clothing, including long sleeves and collars
- A broad-brimmed hat that covers the face, neck, and ears
- UV-protective sunglasses
- Seeking shade between 10am and 2pm (standard time) or 11am and 3pm (daylight saving time)
- Never using tanning beds
Early Detection Is Your Best Protection
Even with excellent sun protection habits, regular skin checks are important — particularly for those with elevated risk. A trained GP using dermatoscopy can identify suspicious lesions at an early stage, when treatment is most straightforward and effective.
At Camberwell Health, we are an accredited skin cancer specialist clinic. Our GPs perform full body skin checks and skin cancer treatments on-site. If you are in Camberwell, Surrey Hills, Hawthorn East, Glen Iris, or the surrounding Boroondara area and are due for a skin health check, book through HotDoc or call us on (03) 9882 0055.