Experts gather for national melanoma summit

New Zealand and international experts in melanoma are gathering in Wellington on Friday 5 April to hear about recent developments, identify priorities for action and work more closely to reduce melanoma's incidence and impact.

New Zealand has one of the highest rates of melanoma skin cancer in the world, and over 300 people here die of melanoma each year. It is the most commonly registered cancer in men aged 25-44 and the second most commonly registered cancer in women aged 25-44.

Exposure to ultraviolet radiation (UV) from the sun is the primary cause of most melanomas and the risk of developing melanoma is strongly related to a history of one or more sunburns in childhood or adolescence.

Speakers include a number of New Zealanders based both here and overseas who are recognised internationally for their melanoma expertise. They include:
•    Professor David Elder, Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. Professor Elder was recently involved in the development of international guidelines for lesion classification. Professor Elder's attendance is sponsored by the Genesis Oncology Trust.
•    Professor John Hawk, Emeritus Professor of Dermatology at St Thomas Hospital London and President, European Society for Photo Dermatology. Professor Hawk will address current trends in incidence and strategies for prevention of malignant melanoma. Professor Hawk's attendance is sponsored by the Cancer Society of New Zealand.
•    Dr Amanda Oakley, President of the New Zealand Dermatological Society and a specialist dermatologist based in Hamilton. Dr Oakley created and manages DermNet NZ, a vast online dermatological resource that receives more than one million visitors a month.
•    Dr Mary-Jane Sneyd, medical epidemiologist and Senior Research Fellow at the Department of Preventive and Social Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin. Dr Sneyd has recently developed a New Zealand-specific prediction model to estimate an individual's risk of developing melanoma.  Dr Sneyd's attendance is sponsored by the Melanoma Foundation of New Zealand.
Melanoma Summit New Zealand 2013 is hosted by MelNet with support from the Health Promotion Agency, Cancer Society of New Zealand and Melanoma Foundation of New Zealand.
Further information:
The media is welcome to attend the summit. The keynote speakers are happy to be interviewed during the summit.  Please contact:
•    Jane Thompson on 021 883491, jane@cmq.co.nz beforehand to arrange an interview time, or
•    Lynne St.Clair-Chapman, Cancer Society National Communications Manager, on 5 April, the day of the summit, on 027 444 4150, lynne@cancer.org.nz.

Sponsors of the Melanoma Summit are: Roche Products, Cancer Society of New Zealand, Genesis Oncology Trust, Path Lab, Melanoma Foundation of New Zealand, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Abbott Molecular and New Zealand Dermatological Society.

More information about the Summit is available here: http://www.melanoma.org.nz/MelNet/News/Melanoma-Summit-2013/