SpotChecker: we’re all one under the Australian sun

With two in three Australians diagnosed with skin cancer before the age of 70¹, it's one of Australia’s most common cancers. The good news however is that it is also one of the most easily detectable and preventable.

Now in its eighth year, TAL SpotChecker has been educating Australians about the importance of sun safety by encouraging conversations about the benefits of embracing secondary prevention, and the importance of both regularly self-checking followed by professional skin checks when there is a concern. 

Understanding skin-safety behaviour 

With a continued focus on better understanding Australians' behaviour regarding skin safety, TAL has commissioned new research with the aim of promoting its importance. The findings confirm there is still more work to do in raising awareness around skin cancer prevention. It indicates that 81% of Australians cannot name the four signs to look out for when self-checking their skin for signs of skin cancer and that although 4 in 5 believe vigilance is important, they’re not necessarily undertaking self-checks. To address this, through TAL SpotChecker we will continue to help educate Australians how to self-check their skin, and how prevention and early detection can support in achieving better health outcomes. 

Self-checking is key 

It is important to perform regular self-checks on your skin to monitor for any unusual changes or signs of skin cancer. It is recommended that you "SCAN" your skin - meaning to check for SORE, CHANGING, ABNORMAL and NEW spots or moles.  

Get in touch to find out more 

If you’d like to find out more about sun safety and performing self-checks, visit the Cancer Council website.  Speak with your partnership manager if you’d like to find out more about SpotChecker. Member engagement content on skin safety is available on our Member Content Hub. 

¹ Staples MP, Elwood M, Burton RC, Williams JL, Marks R, Giles GG. Non-melanoma skin cancer in Australia: The 2022 National Survey and Trends since 1985 Med J Aust 2006 Jan 2, 184 (1):6-10