We understand that melanoma diagnosis and treatment can be overwhelming for patients, their carers and loved ones. We are here to provide support in many ways.
Supportive Care Matters
Our Supportive Care team will regularly write articles about topics that matter to melanoma patients. If there is a topic that you would like addressed in one of our future articles, please let us know by emailing supportivecare@melanoma.org.au
Living with melanoma during the festive season
For people living with melanoma and their loved ones, the holiday period can bring up mixed experiences and feelings. We’ve put together a fact sheet of tips for patients, and for family and friends, which we hope will help make the most of this time.
Telehealth: an appointment option
Have you ever considered a telehealth appointment? Read more about feedback on telehealth from melanoma patients and clinicians.
Looking after yourself
We all understand that maintaining a healthy lifestyle can improve both physical and emotional well-being, especially during and following treatment for melanoma. Read our tips for a good well-being plan, which can restore some sense of control.
Tips for managing special dates
For people living with and beyond melanoma (and their loved ones), holidays, birthdays and anniversaries are often accompanied by complex emotions. We take a closer look at the challenges that arise around special dates and how to manage them.
Patient Support Facts Sheets
Click the cover images below to download PDF.
MIA Clinical Psychology Service
Clinical psychology services are available at MIA, operating on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. This service is available for MIA patients or patients of clinicians affiliated with MIA. Referral by your health care professional is preferred, although self-referrals are accepted. Please note that this is not a crisis mental health service
Phone (02) 9911 7285 or email psychology@melanoma.org.au.
Please click on the cover below to read more about our Clinical Psychology Service.
Melanoma Nurses
Our melanoma nurses provide direct care and support for our melanoma patients throughout their treatment journey. In Sydney our melanoma nurses provide support to patients undergoing treatment or participating in a clinical trial. In Western Australia and the Riverina we have melanoma community nurses who provide support and guidance to local patients.
Danielle Goss, Wagga melanoma nurse
Phone: 0413 766 232
Email: Danielle.Goss@melanoma.org.au
Angie Miller, WA melanoma nurse
Phone: 0459 463 451
Email: Angelica.Miller@melanoma.org.au
Melanoma: Questions and Answers Booklet
Our Melanoma: Questions and Answers Booklet is an important supportive care resource for patients with early stage melanoma. It was developed as a psychoeducational resource to help alleviate the fear of recurrence and address anxieties around diagnosis. It is designed to complement our Melanoma Prevention and Early Detection and Early Melanoma Patient Guides.
Click on cover image to download.
Melanoma: Questions and Answers Booklet
Support Services
Self care and support is so important during melanoma treatment, for patients, carers and families. Read about looking after yourself, your emotional wellbeing and where to get help in our guide.
MIA has also created a handy directory of MIA and other helpful support services, from wellbeing to psychology services.
Click the cover images to download PDF.
Patient Support Groups
Patient Support Group Meetings are held monthly around Australia. All melanoma patients – and their families, carers and friends – are welcome to attend.
Most of these meetings are co-ordinated by our friends at Melanoma Patients Australia (MPA). In WA they are organised by Angie Miller, our MIA WA Melanoma Community Support Nurse.
These include face-to-face group meetings, user-friendly monthly online Zoom meetings and a hybrid combination of the two. In addition, Support Leaders are keeping in contact with patients and carers individually.
Note: We update the meeting details at the start of each month.
If you would like to attend a Support Group for the first time, or have any questions, please click on the link for that Support Group. The team will respond to your request.
Support Meetings this month
National
Delivered by Melanoma Patients Australia
| LOCATION | DATE | MEETING FORMAT | FACILITATOR |
|---|---|---|---|
| National Melanoma Meet-Up* | No meeting in January | Virtual | Martin Sander-Burns & Audrey Colbert |
| Regional & Remote** | Fri 10 Jan 1pm AEDT | Virtual | Emma Zurawel |
| Mucosal Melanoma | Fri 31 Jan 2pm AEDT | Virtual | Emma Zurawel |
| Advanced Metastatic Melanoma | Thurs 23 January 1:30pm AEDT | Telephone | Emma Zurawel & Joseph Taylor (CCNSW) |
*The MPA National Melanoma Meet-Up is supported by Bristol Myers Squibb. ** The Regional & Remote Meeting is supported by Cancer Australia.
If you would like to attend a Support Group for the first time, or have any questions, please click on the button below, or call 1300 884 450. The Melanoma Patients Australia team will respond to your request.
NSW & ACT
Delivered by Melanoma Patients Australia
| LOCATION | DATE | MEETING FORMAT | FACILITATOR |
|---|---|---|---|
| NSW – Sydney | Wed 8 Jan 6pm | In Person | Martin Sander-Burns |
| NSW – Hunter* | No meeting in January | In Person | Lisa Hamilton |
| ACT – Canberra | Sun 12 Jan 11am | Hybrid | David Thiele |
*The Hunter Region group meets on alternative months.
If you would like to attend a Support Group for the first time, or have any questions, please click on the button below. The Melanoma Patients Australia team will respond to your request.
If there is no support group in your area, and you wish to connect with someone locally please contact the MPA National Support Line on 1300 88 44 50.
QLD
Delivered by Melanoma Patients Australia
| LOCATION | DATE | MEETING FORMAT | FACILITATOR |
|---|---|---|---|
| QLD – Brisbane | No meeting in January | In Person | Brian Bailey & Ingrid Kivikoski |
| QLD – Gold Coast | No meeting in January | In Person | Lyn Batchelor |
| QLD – Sunshine Coast | No meeting in January | In Person | Christine Bleijie |
| QLD – Townsville | No meeting in January | In Person | Linda & Russell Lewis |
In addition to the above meetings, there are ad hoc meetings held in Townsville and Rockhampton.
If you would like to attend a Support Group for the first time, or have any questions, please click on the button below. The Melanoma Patients Australia team will respond to your request.
If there is no support group in your area, and you wish to connect with someone locally please contact the MPA National Support Line on 1300 88 44 50.
TAS & SA
Organised by Melanoma Patients Australia
| LOCATION | DATE | MEETING FORMAT | FACILITATOR |
|---|---|---|---|
| TAS – Tasmania | No meeting in January | Virtual | Dianne Mason and Jenni Paton |
| SA – Adelaide | Coming soon | In Person |
If you would like to attend a Support Group for the first time, or have any questions, please click on the button below. The Melanoma Patients Australia team will respond to your request.
If there is no support group in your area, and you wish to connect with someone locally please contact the MPA National Support Line on 1300 88 44 50.
Additional Support in Tasmania
In addition to the Tasmania Support Meeting detailed above, please contact Melanoma Institute Australia in Tasmania for one-on-one and peer-to-peer support. Email tasmania@melanoma.org.au or call 0409 330 206.
WA
Delivered by MIA WA
| LOCATION | DATE | MEETING FORMAT | FACILITATOR | LOCATION |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Perth | No meeting in December | In Person | Angie Miller | Cancer Wellness Centre 80 Railway St, Cottesloe |
| WA Virtual Support Group | No meeting in December | Virtual | Angie Miller | Zoom |
| South West – Bunbury | No meeting in December | In Person | Angie Miller | Dot’s Place 62 Forest Avenue, South Bunbury |
| Peel | No meeting in December | In Person | Angie Miller | Dot’s Place 34 Victoria Circ, Greenfields |
| Ocular Melanoma | No meeting in December | In Person | Angie Miller | Cancer Wellness Centre 80 Railway St, Cottesloe |
Please email Angie Miller wa@melanoma.org.au or call 9322 1908 for more information or to join a WA support group.
Thanks to the WA support group participants who shared their story in the video created by Sunburnt Films (below).
Patient Support Videos: Melanoma Matters
Melanoma Matters is a four-part series designed to deliver vital insight through the eyes of a patient.
- Melanoma and life expectancy (Julie’s story)
- Melanoma and anxiety (Ingrid’s story)
- Melanoma in young people (Adam’s story)
- Melanoma spreading or returning (Karen’s story)
Thank you to the four patients who have bravely shared their stories to help others.
MIA would like to thank the following organisations for their support of Melanoma Matters: Melanoma Patients Australia, Amie St Clair Melanoma Trust, melanomaWA, Melanoma Tasmania and Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre.
Funding for this project was generously provided by Bristol-Myers Squibb, Novartis and MSD.
Melanoma and life expectancy
Julie’s story
After being given a life expectancy of six months, Julie’s life – and that of her loved ones – was turned upside down by melanoma. Hanging on to hope was crucial. In this moving video Julie shares how she got through it and where she went for help.
You can hear more of Julie’s inspiring story in her book, Patient 71
Additional support resources:
Melanoma Institute Australia
Melanoma Facts
Cancer Research UK
Coping with advanced melanoma
Cancer Council NSW
Melanoma stages and prognosis
Cancer Council NSW
Advanced melanoma
Cancer Council Victoria
Facing End of Life booklet
Melanoma and anxiety
Ingrid’s story
Anxiety is a familiar emotion to many people diagnosed with melanoma. Ingrid finds it most challenging around scan time when she’s waiting for results.
Learn from Ingrid’s experience on how she manages anxiety and where to find support.
Additional support resources:
Melanoma Patients Australia
Anxiety
Cancer Australia
Living with cancer
Cancer Council Australia
Emotions and cancer booklet
IMPACT Melanoma (US)
Just diagnosed
Melanoma and young people
Adam’s story
Adam will never forget the day he was diagnosed with melanoma at age 27. After a hairdresser noticed a changing mole, Adam saw his doctor, thinking it would be a simple matter of having it cut out.
Adam has been through a rollercoaster of emotions and was surprised that melanoma could happen to someone his age. Hear his story as he sheds light on what it’s like to be diagnosed with melanoma so young.
Additional support resources:
Melanoma Institute Australia
Causes of melanoma in 90% of young Australians
Canteen.
Skin Cancers – Information, treatment and support
RedKite
How we help – Information & support
Game On Mole
Instagram: @gameonmole_
Melanoma spreading or returning
Karen’s story
Karen has been through the journey of melanoma progression, scan anxiety and fear of recurrence. Watch her story to find out how she managed and where to go for more help.
Additional support resources:
Melanoma Institute Australia
Stages of melanoma
Melanoma Institute Australia
Melanoma treatment options
Melanoma Patients Australia
Fear of recurrence
Melanoma Patients Australia
Staging of melanoma
Cancer Council Australia
Living well after cancer booklet