Bay of Plenty's melanoma stats revealed: Grandmother warns others not to 'brush it away'

Karen Smith never used to give melanoma a thought.

"I never believed it would happen to me because I'm quite olive-skinned," the 66-year-old told the Rotorua Daily Post.

"[In New Zealand], we don't think about skin cancer and we have a bit of a blase attitude that it won't happen to us."

New Zealand has the highest incidence rate - the probability of a medical condition occurring in a population - of melanoma in the world.

There have been 696 registered cases of melanoma in the Lakes and Bay of Plenty District Health Boards over the past three years, according to provisional data provided by the Ministry of Health.

Lakes DHB recorded 177 cases between 2018 and 2020, while the Bay of Plenty DHB had 519 cases.

Karen Smith, 66, discovered she had melanoma in 2019. Photo / Supplied

In 2020 alone, there were 58 melanoma cases in the Lakes DHB and 180 in BOP DHB.

According to Melanoma New Zealand, more than 350 Kiwis die of melanoma every year.

Non-profit health-promotion programme Sunsmart estimates that in recent years, more New Zealanders die from melanoma than die on our roads.

It was November 2019 when Smith, a grandmother to 12 girls, became counted in those statistics after she discovered a spot on her lower back.

"It was a tiny little mark. I didn't really worry about it. I didn't know what it was."

Within a couple of weeks, the little black mark had grown from the size of a pinhead to the diameter of a 10 cent piece.

"I knew something wasn't right."

Smith went to her GP and was dumbfounded to hear his diagnosis.

"He said to me, 'I'm sure you've got a melanoma there.' I just looked at him thinking he'd got it wrong."

Within days Smith had had a biopsy and the spot was removed. She thought that was the end of her brush with melanoma.

Karen Smith has been cancer-free for two years and sees the doctor for scans every six months. Photo / Supplied

She was wrong.

"I got a call from my GP and he said I needed to see somebody about the melanoma, that it had come back. He said, 'Look, it's not something you can leave my dear.'"

Smith was diagnosed with stage 3B melanoma. A section of skin on Smith's back needed to be removed.

"Initially it rocked my boat big time. Now I've got a scar that's most probably eight or nine inches long. It's quite a significant scar."

The cancer's spread did not stop there.

"When I went back for the follow-up and all these scans showed it was in my lymph nodes."

With her family's support, Smith agreed to the invasive surgery required to remove her lymph nodes.

"I'm glad I listened to my family."

Smith has now been cancer-free for two years. Still, her journey is far from over.

"I need to go in for scans every six months," Smith said.

"And I'll need to keep doing that for another three years. It's another three years of asking if [the cancer's] come back. I'm on a wait and watch list."

Smith said the regular scans were nerve-racking.

"I have all of these emotions and I'm all right until I start to get to that six-monthly [scan]."

Smith thought no one could be prepared for a cancer diagnosis.

"If only I'd known and realised how deadly melanoma is. I'd have changed a few things."

Smith now makes sure her children and grandchildren are aware of the need to protect themselves from UV radiation.

"I think of the kiddies, sitting on the paddling pool, playing in the water on our beautiful beaches. You don't realise you're burning."

Smith's advice to New Zealanders is to cover up, wear approved sunscreen and get checked.

"Please don't brush it away."

Melanoma explained:

New Zealand Cancer Society medical director Dr Kate Gregory. Photo / Supplied

New Zealand Cancer Society medical director Dr Kate Gregory explained that melanoma is a type of skin cancer that can be caused by unprotected exposure to UV radiation.

"People are more at risk if they have a history of childhood sunburn, a family history of melanoma, fair skin or lots of moles."

Gregory said UV radiation from the sun is dangerous because it can cause damage to the DNA in skin cells which can lead to cancer.

"Most melanomas can be very successfully treated with simple surgery. Some people require more extensive surgery," Gregory said.

In some cases, the effects of melanoma can be more severe.

"Melanoma can spread to their parts of the body and in this case patients may be offered drug treatment with immunotherapy. This can be very successful but some people do still die from this disease."

Gregory said the best way to protect yourself from melanoma is to be sun smart.

Tips for protecting your skin against UV radiation:

Slip
• Wear long sleeves, pants, skirt or lavalava
• Note that men are most likely to develop melanoma on their back, and women are most likely to get them on their legs.

Slop
• Your sunscreen should be water-resistant, broad-spectrum and at least SPF30
• Apply sunscreen 20 minutes before going outside
• Reapply sunscreen every two hours
• Use nine teaspoons of sunscreen: One per arm, two for each leg, one for your face, neck and ears and two for your torso
• Check your sunscreen's expiry dates
• Store your sunscreen correctly at below 30C

Slap
• Wear a broad-brimmed hat with at least a 7.5cm brim
• Caps do not protect the neck, ears, or side of the face

Seek shade
• Remember that UV radiation is strongest between 10am and 4pm

Get checked
• A regular full-body skin check by your GP or a dermatologist is recommended.

Source: Melanoma New Zealand