Check your spot before the weather gets hot! CARTERS and Melanoma New Zealand are on a shared mission to reduce skin cancer in Kiwi construction workers.
New Zealand has the highest rate of melanoma in the world: More than 8,000 melanomas are diagnosed and around 300 New Zealanders die each year. Almost all skin cancers, over 90%, are caused by too much exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun. And, as at-risk occupations go, construction workers are high on the list.
Skin cancer can be preventable, and if detected and treated early enough, is almost always curable. Learning how to protect your skin, knowing what to look for, and having your skin checked regularly by a professional is so important for Kiwis, especially so for outdoor-based builders.
That’s why CARTERS is proud to partner with Melanoma New Zealand to help make a dent in the country’s figures and save more lives. As part of the partnership, this winter CARTERS has been providing opportunities for more people to get their spots checked for free. A total of 265 customers received spot checks at selected CARTERS Trade League events across the country.
Taking advantage of this free service had a potentially life-saving impact for some customers. Among those who stepped forward to have a spot examined by a specialist nurse, 11% were found to be suspicious lesions, and 18% of those were suspected melanomas.
October is Melanoma Awareness Month and Melanoma New Zealand is providing opportunities for even more Kiwis to get their skin seen by a professional. Pop-up pods across the country will offer free, five-minute non-invasive spot checks* from trained nurses, who can also share life-saving advice and information about melanoma.
All events are 10am-4pm, with no appointment necessary, first-come, first-served. Up to three spots can be checked per person.
Where to get your free check-up
Wellington
2-4 October: North City Shopping Centre, Porirua
Christchurch
9-11 October: Westfield Riccarton
Tauranga
11 October: Fraser Cove Shopping Centre
Auckland
16 October: Westfield St Lukes
17 October: Westfield Manukau
18 October: Westfield Albany
23-25 October: Westfield Newmarket
Dunedin
23-25 October: Meridian Mall
Hamilton
30 October - 1 November: Chartwell Shopping Centre
Mark your calendar, gather your work mates or family and visit the spot check pop-up pod nearest you to get checked: it could save your life.
Risks to remember
UVR can’t be seen or felt and can be harmful even on cool and cloudy days.
UVR exposure during a person’s first 18 years of life is the most critical for cancer-causing skin damage.
Anyone in New Zealand can develop skin cancer. However, it’s most common in people with the fairest skin types.
The main risk factor for skin cancer is regular, unprotected sun exposure.
Māori and Pacific people have a much lower chance of developing melanoma but often have more serious melanomas. It’s skin type, not ethnicity that predicts risk.
In remote and rural areas, many people work outdoors and may be at higher risk of developing a melanoma.
If melanoma is recognised and treated early enough, it’s almost always curable.
The first sign is often a change in the size, shape or colour of an existing spot, or the appearance of a new spot.
Remember, the five prevention measures are: SLIP, SLOP, SLAP, SEEK, SLIDE - SLIP on a shirt, SLOP on some sunscreen, SLAP on a hat, SEEK out the shade, and SLIDE on your sunglasses.
*No appointment is necessary. However, as this is a public event, spot checks will be provided on a first-come, first-served basis. If you cannot be seen, you can book an online consultation with a Nurse Educator here.
If you missed our Trade League events and can't make any of the listed spot checks, here's an A-G guide of what to look out for.
The spot checks are a great way to engage in conversation about the importance of early detection, but it is not a full body check and a diagnosis is not provided. Regular full body skin checks by your GP, dermatologist, nurse, surgeon, or plastic surgeon are still recommended.
For more information see:
CARTERS - Melanoma NZ partnership
Melanoma Awareness Month - Information & Resources
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