If you grew up in Australia, it’s a safe bet you were exposed to the ‘Slip, Slop, Slap’ campaign at some stage.
Launched by the Cancer Council in 1981, it featured Sid the seagull, wearing board shorts, a t-shirt and a hat, singing a catchy tune to remind us of three easy ways of protecting against skin cancer.
But 43 years later, it seems the message wasn’t heard. Skin cancer is the world’s most common – and most preventable – cancer. Yet tragically, one person dies from it every four minutes.
Melanoma, the deadliest form, accounts for one in five skin cancers globally. Cancer Council estimates that two out of three Australians will develop skin cancer in their lifetimes, with the cumulative risk of developing melanoma being highest in Australia, where one in 20 men and one in 30 women will be affected by age 75. What’s more, the World Health Organisation predicts a staggering 68 per cent increase in melanoma deaths by 2040.
And tackling the issue doesn’t come cheap. According to reports from the Melanoma Institute, it’s estimated that Australia spends $1.7 billion annually on skin cancer treatment, a figure that is set to rise.
It’s one of the many reasons that filmmakers Mike Hill and Sue Collins made Conquering Skin Cancer the second film in the Conquering Cancer Campaign series, a broader series focusing on ‘positive’ stories about skin cancer, cervical cancer, and breast cancer.
Skin cancer runs in Mike’s family, which places him in a higher risk category. Another reason he’s hyper-aware? His father, Professor David Hill, worked on iconic campaigns like Slip, Slop, Slap for decades as Cancer Council Victoria’s former CEO.
“Despite being surrounded by sun-safe practices and messaging, skin cancer still managed to find a way to invade my family. As a fair-skinned person, who loves the great outdoors, living in our sunburnt country, I’ve learnt that I’m a ‘sitting duck’,” he explains.
The documentary features a myriad of familiar faces, including 2024 Australians of the Year Professors Richard Scolyer and Georgina Long, media personality Deborah Hutton and Olympian Cate Campbell, who all candidly share their stories and learnings in the pursuit of positive change.
“I’m gobsmacked that I’m still meeting women who are in their forties and fifties who have never had a skin check,” says Deborah, who has gone through two major skin cancer surgeries.
“You can have seriously invasive surgeries to get rid of skin cancer. You could lose an ear, your nose, an eye. Left undetected, you could be in serious, serious trouble.”
Conquering Skin Cancer is out in cinemas nationwide on December 4.
