Welcome

The Western Australian Melanoma Health Study (WAMHS) aims to approach all patients in Western Australia who have been diagnosed with malignant melanoma since 2006, to ask them to participate in the study. Blood samples and information on health, lifestyle and family history will be collected from consenting patients and used to form an extensive population- based database and linked biospecimen resource.

Melanoma is the most aggressive form of skin cancer, however, early detection and treatment may result in a complete cure.

Australia has one of the highest rates of melanoma in the world. Western Australia has the second highest rate in Australia, with more than 1000 cases of invasive melanoma diagnosed each year.

To date, epidemiological studies have determined the major risk factors for melanoma, but more research is required to fully understand the causes (genetic and environmental) and complex pathways underlying the desease.

This study aims to create a database which can be used by researchers to investigate the causes of melanoma and factors affecting prognosis, which will assist in the development of new measures for prevention, detection and treatment of melanoma.

As the primary treatment for melanoma is excision of the melanoma, patients are often left with a scar which may have a lasting impact. Therefore, a substudy of the WAMHS is also investigating the factors that influence the natural history of scarring. This will potentially lead to better strategies for scar management.

The WAMHS will be one of the most comprehensive projects of its type anywhere in the world and will ensure that Western Australia is an international leader in skin cancer research.

The WAMHS is funded by the Scott Kirkbride Melanoma Research Centre.