General practitioners (GP's) are calling for more support as research shows the invaluable role they play in detecting deadly skin cancers in regional communities.
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Dr Gerry Considine, a regional GP in Clare, mid-north region of South Australia, provides regular skin checks for his patients.
"Access to specialist care, or even a GP at all in some regional areas is difficult," Dr Considine said.
"So it's nice to be able to provide a service to places that patients might otherwise have to drive three or four hours to get to a skin cancer specialist."
Dr Considine operates an outreach skin cancer clinic that serves a number of regional towns in South Australia.
Research by the Daffodil Centre found men, aged over 65, living in Queensland or regional and rural areas, were the largest group of patients presenting to GPs for skin cancer checks.
The study by the Daffodil centre, in partnership with Cancer Council NSW and the University of Sydney, analysed data from 15,000 general practitioners over 16 years.
"We saw almost 50 per cent higher rates of skin cancer conditions being mentioned in regional and rural areas", lead researcher, Professor Anne Cust said.
Professor Cust, deputy director of the Daffodil Centre, said that higher rates in regional and rural areas may be due to people spending more time outdoors.
"It's also likely related to access to care.
"So in metropolitan areas, it's easier to see a specialist or a dermatologist or there might be also more skin cancer clinics," she said.
"Whereas in rural and regional areas the lack of specialists in some of those areas means that more patients go to see their general practitioner for management of those conditions."
Dr Considine said patients trusted their GPs.
"They trust the GP to know the whole story. So even in areas where there has been a dermatologist visiting, the number of patients that are still seeing their GP for that care, is still quite high," he said.
"I'm not surprised that GPs are often the first port of call or most trusted resource for patients because we're in that community setting with them," Dr Considine said.
The research aims to improve the prevention and early diagnosis of melanoma and other skin cancer by understanding where that care is taking place.
The study found three per cent of all GP visits are for skin cancer.
Some are worried that GPs will not be resourced to manage a rising rate of skin cancer.
"Australian GPs are excellent at managing skin cancer. As I've said they're the gold standard for detection," chair of RACGP specific interest dermatology, Dr Jeremy Hudson said.
He set up a skin cancer research hub in Townsville.
The issue is going to be by 2030, because by 2030 we're going to have a massive increase in skin cancer rates. There's no way we're going to be able to train enough specialists in that time.
- Jeremy Hudson
"It's more about work burden because a rural GP tends to work double the hours of an urban GP. They don't tend to get paid very well.
"They've got a lot of commitments despite having huge responsibilities and often being incredibly capable."
The State of the Nation Melanoma report by Melanoma Institute Australia and Melanoma Patients Australia found more than 205,000 Australians are expected to be diagnosed with melanoma between 2022 and 2030.
The report highlighted the important role GPs had in detecting melanoma and the shortage of professionals trained in skin checks.
One concern was the quality of skin checks.
"Survey data indicate that GPs fail to detect lesions at four times the rate of dermatologists, while patients and carers indicated GPs could sometimes be dismissive of patient concerns," the 2022 report found.
Dr Hudson said measures were needed to tackle the issue.
"I think some specific funding initiatives for GPs to do courses at low cost if they're going to provide these services [is needed]".
"Doctors need the ability to have the time and the income to actually do their job properly and have time for education and be able to afford equipment and courses," Dr Hudson said.
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Professor Cust said the Daffodil study helps policy makers and doctors understand where resources and education resource programs could be directed.
"I do think that general practicing regional and rural areas should be definitely supported to manage the number of skin cancer-related conditions and consultations that are occurring.
"In Australia, we have the highest rate of skin cancer in the world and general practices are seeing a lot of these consultations."
Marlene Even
Journalist at the Illawarra Mercury. Previously a radio and podcast host at 2SER Radio.
Journalist at the Illawarra Mercury. Previously a radio and podcast host at 2SER Radio.
