“My key message I want to share with others is to take immediate action if you suspect that you have a melanoma. Knowing your skin is therefore critical,” said John Rutherford, MIA Speakers’ Hub volunteer. “If I had followed this advice back at the start of my melanoma journey, I may have avoided six years of treatment.”

John Rutherford, a British expat, found a black growth on a mole on his arm in November 2015. In February 2016, once the mole had grown larger, he saw a doctor who removed the mole, identifying it as a malignant melanoma.

In 2018, a tumour was identified on his left armpit. This, along with 31 lymph nodes, was removed and John was diagnosed with Stage III melanoma.

In total, John has had six melanomas removed, regular PET scans, MRIs, radiotherapy, different types of immunotherapy treatments, plus navigated side effects from treatments. In March 2022, John was told he no longer had evidence of disease, although he continues to have regular PET scans to ensure he remains cancer-free.

“I consider myself incredibly lucky to have been in Australia during the worst of my melanoma journey,” said John, who moved to Australia in 2019 to live with his partner in Perth, and closer to his son in Sydney. “Melanoma is so common here and the quality of treatment and aftercare is fantastic. I felt incredibly well looked after by my medical team.”

“It was also so important for me to have my loved ones around me during this tough time,” said John. “I also lent on melanoma support groups. Speaking to someone who knows what you’re going through was so cathartic for me, and I hope that I can provide that same support to others.”

As someone who didn’t prioritise sun safety in his youth, and through his work spent many years of his life living in hot climates, John is passionate about spreading this life-saving message far and wide through Speakers’ Hub, in the hopes that people start taking sun safety more seriously.