Patients

“How cool would it be if we created a product?”

After living an average Aussie life playing sport, spending languid days on the beach, and falling in love with ocean swimming, Anne Gately was diagnosed with a melanoma in 2010. The melanoma was removed and test results confirmed the cancer had not spread.

A BURY-BORN mum diagnosed with skin cancer after a chance encounter is helping researchers to trial a pioneering blood test that can spot signs of melanoma returning.

Scientists attribute this rise partly to increased exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun and tanning beds. Unlike most cancers, which predominantly affect older individuals, melanoma is also common in people under 30. Despite significant progress in treatment, many patients experience resistance to available therapies, making new approaches crucial.