An Aussie model is urging people to check their skin for signs of melanoma after being diagnosed with the cancer herself at the age of just 25 earlier this year.
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Oceana Strachan is the face of this year's Game On Mole campaign, an initiative of the Melanoma Institute Australia to start conversations about skin cancer and encourage people to keep an eye on their skin.
Miss Strachan, from Wollongong in NSW's Illawarra, went to the doctor earlier this year after spotting a small but unusual-looking mole on her ankle.
She was told it was likely just a new mole but she opted to have a biopsy anyway, which revealed the mole was a melanoma.
While the cancer was only 0.3 millimetres deep, she said, it had the potential to reach her lymph nodes and spread throughout her body.
Miss Strachan said receiving the news she had skin cancer was "absolutely overwhelming".
She had to go in for surgery to remove the melanoma and came out with a five-centimetre scar.
"I'd rather that than the outcome if I'd left it there," she said.
Miss Strachan said she initially felt alone and even embarrassed to have been diagnosed with skin cancer.
"I felt too young to have a melanoma," she said.
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But after speaking about her experience on social media, where she had a sizeable following, she came to find that other young people had gone through similar ordeals.
And when she was approached by the Melanoma Institute Australia to join the Game On Mole campaign, she was proud to spread the word.
Miss Strachan said she didn't want to spread fear and remained an outdoors person, but urged people to be mindful about their time in the sun, use SPF, and wear a hat.
She said it was also important to "know your skin" and be aware of any changes.
Melanoma Institute Australia is concerned that fewer people are getting checks and treatment after its patient numbers dropped to a 12-year low this year, with the COVID-19 pandemic believed to be a factor.
Professor Richard Scolyer, the co-medical director of the institute, said a delay in diagnosis and treatment of skin cancer "can be the difference between life and death".
"We have very real concerns that the coming year will see an influx of melanoma patients being diagnosed with more advanced stage disease, which means a poorer prognosis," Professor Scolyer said.
People can also purchase Game On Mole t-shirts to spread awareness, with profits going towards the Melanoma Institute Australia's research.