The return of Australia’s largest melanoma campaign – the Melanoma March – after a COVID-induced hiatus, needs more runners on the ground than ever.

All Australians, Canberrans included, are called to join their local Melanoma March to help regain a $1.5 million shortfall in funding for melanoma research, built up over two years of cancelled events.

This year in particular, the aim is to raise $1 million to support a world-first personalised immunotherapy clinical trial.

Until now, half of advanced melanoma patients don’t respond to or develop resistance to immunotherapy treatment. The Personalised Immunotherapy Platform is designed to ensure patients receive effective treatment based on genetics and tumour biology.

“This year’s campaign is critical to ensure the personalised immunotherapy clinical trial can get underway, which has the potential to transform cancer treatment globally,” said Melanoma Institute Australia CEO Matthew Browne.

Michelle White, a 51-year-old business owner from Goulburn, will be marching for herself in Canberra this Sunday 13 March.

In 2021, Michelle was diagnosed with Stage III melanoma in the middle of her back. This Sunday will be her first Melanoma March. Despite the prevalence of the event, she says she “wasn’t aware of it” before her own experience, which started as a normal day at the spa.

“Twelve months ago, while changing into my swimmers, I scratched a mole on my back and thought it felt different.

“I went out to my husband and daughter who immediately noticed it looked different, too. It had a black growth on it, and the skin was flaking. I made the appointment to get it checked the next day.”

The biopsy of Michelle’s mole came back as melanoma. She underwent surgery after discovering that the melanoma had spread to her left armpit, requiring the removal of the lymph node.

“For me, this March is an opportunity to connect with others who have been on a melanoma journey as I felt alone going through mine throughout COVID.

“I really felt alone. In the beginning, my daughter was driving me to appointments. Then in lockdown, she couldn’t enter the building. It felt like I was dealing with it on my own.

“Eventually I realised I could suck it up and do this. You find a bit of character that you didn’t know you had.”

Michelle is undergoing immunotherapy and has been in a clinical trial that has since revealed clear scans.

When she first started the trial for the Personalised Immunotherapy Platform, she was impressed by the specificity of the treatment.

“I would have to measure my exact weight the day before treatment, for it be adjusted for me. They’re treating what your body weight can handle.

“This year’s Melanoma March is an opportunity to help raise critical funding … We need to find the answers for this terrible disease.”

Australia has the highest melanoma rates in the world with one person diagnosed with the disease every 30 minutes. One Australian dies from melanoma every six hours.

“This is preventable,” says Michelle. “We love the sun; we don’t need to die from it. Just keep an eye on it.

“It’s empowering to take personal responsibility for our bodies. There’s so much checking that we can do ourselves, the sort of checks that can lead to a totally different outcome.

“From that random scratch in the mirror, if I hadn’t noticed the melanoma could have easily advanced to stage four- which is fatal. Early diagnosis is everything.”

To register for or donate to Melanoma March, go to melanomamarch.org.au. You can take part in the organised event in Canberra on 13 March or ‘March Your Way‘ this month at a time and place that suits you.

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