KEY POINTS:
A surgeon has warned that complacency is to blame for an increase in the number of Kiwis contracting life-threatening melanoma.
Professor James Shaw, chief of surgery at Ascot Private Hospital in Auckland, said millions of dollars were being poured into education but the sunsmart message wasn't getting through.
And cancer campaigners are backing his calls for more specific campaigns, particularly aimed at older Europeans. The Cancer Society and Cancer Control Council chairwoman Dame Catherine Tizard want the Ministry of Health to do more to tackle the problem.
Melanoma kills about 300 Kiwis a year, the highest death rate in the world. One in five sufferers who fail to identify it early enough - when the skin lesion is less than 2mm wide - will die.
While most patients are European, Shaw's surveys show an increase in cases in all ethnic groups.
He said there were two possible explanations: awareness programmes weren't strong enough and the delay between sunburn and a melanoma developing meant people weren't keeping a close watch on their skin.
"People, mainly men, are not getting the message about sun over-exposure," said Shaw. "Women are generally better at taking care of themselves and will go to the doctor if they notice changes to moles or freckles."
Shaw said there appeared to be no decrease in melanoma in most parts of the world, despite sun awareness programmes.
"If I kicked off an awareness programme five years ago it could take 10 or 15 years for any effect to be seen.
"Hopefully, this means the children's programmes we have in place at the moment will have an effect."
The Cancer Society said it spent $1 million at a "conservative estimate" on awareness campaigns for skin cancers.
But the society's skin cancer adviser, Judith Galtry, wants the Ministry of Health to work on more effective campaigns aimed at men and teenagers. "The society feels like the ministry has dropped the ball on this one. There is not enough money being put into this issue and all our work is based on charity. It's outrageous."
Dame Catherine Tizard, chairwoman of the Cancer Control Council - an independent advisory body appointed by the Health Minister - said the council hoped more could be done to raise awareness. "People are getting mixed messages about sun exposure."
No one from the Ministry was available for comment.
Shaw was disappointed the sunsmart message was not getting through, as shown by the "worrying" increase in the use of sunbeds and solariums. "Anyone who lives in New Zealand should not be using a sunbed."
He said people should not be scared to step into the rays for a quick vitamin D boost - the key was to follow the slip, slop, slap routine.
Young not invincible
Maddy Bellcroft knows all too well the importance of protecting oneself from the sun at a young age.
The Cable Bay snowboarder and ambulance service volunteer discovered a "horrendous" melanoma the week before her 20th birthday this year.
She had a small mole removed from her upper right chest in February but further tests showed there was cancerous growth left, which was removed in April.
Bellcroft is now cancer-free but her brief brush with death has pushed her to make other young people aware of the risks of exposure to the sun.
"I think that there needs to be more campaigns that target 18- to 25-year-olds because many young people think they're a bit invincible," said the Cancer Society ambassador.
"But all you have to do is look at someone like me - I'm young, I'm healthy, I don't smoke and I'm not someone who lazes about in the sun, but I still got it."
