Griffith Medical Centre has been raking in the awards for their new Molemap Check clinic, which has had the "most successful" launch in all of Australia.
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In just two months the clinic has had over 100 patients and detected an alarming number of SCC and BCC cancer cells.
There's been a disproportionately high rate of cancer in Griffith, which doesn't come to the surprise of melanographer Stephanie Whitehurst.
She said there's been a huge demand for skin checks in Griffith, especially from people who work outside for a living.
"We've had a lot of farmers that have come in - they know they're at higher risk because they're out in the sun," Miss Whitehurst said.
"We've also had a lot of teachers come to us."
Miss Whitehurst uses a Molemap camera to take internal pictures of suspicious moles, which are then sent to a dermatologist for analysis.
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Despite the high number of patients Miss Whitehurst has so far kept up with the punishing pace, which is why she was chosen as Australia's melanographer of the month.
Molemap Check director Darren Antaki-Smith said there had long been an unmet demand for skin check clinics in regional areas like Griffith and the surrounding towns.
"We know how under-serviced the regional areas are when it comes to specialist care," Mr Antaki-Smith said.
"What Molemap Check does for the patient load in the Greater Riverina is give back to rural health when it comes to skincare and melanoma detection."
The clinic will also be used to service people from neighbouring towns such as Leeton and Coleambally.
Mr Antaki-Smith insists early skin checks are the key to preventing cancer - and yet 70 per cent of the Australian population aren't seeking a skin check, and 49 per cent will never have one in their lifetime.
"Given the amount of outside workers in this area, SCC and BCC need to be picked up and excised before they grow," Mr Antaki-Smith said.
"If it's not picked up early people can lose half their arms - it's not a nice thing."
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Kenji Sato
Kenji Sato is a handsome journalist at The Daily Advertiser who enjoys writing flattering bios about himself in the third person. He can be contacted by email at kenji.sato@dailyadvertiser.com.au or by mobile on 0448 927 612.
Kenji Sato is a handsome journalist at The Daily Advertiser who enjoys writing flattering bios about himself in the third person. He can be contacted by email at kenji.sato@dailyadvertiser.com.au or by mobile on 0448 927 612.
