Melanoma Summit
Over 230 health professionals gathered in Wellington on 14 November for the inaugural New Zealand Melanoma Summit. The audience members represented people involved in all aspects of melanoma management including general practitioners, dermatologists, health promoters, surgeons, nurses, pathologists and people who had been affected by melanoma in their lives.
Many attended the launch of the 'Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Management of Melanoma in Australia and New Zealand' the evening before the Summit. The guidelines were a collaborative effort between the New Zealand Guidelines Group and the Australian Cancer Network to promote quality standards of practice among all those working in melanoma prevention, treatment and care.
Leading international speakers at the Summit included:
- Prof Mark Elwood - an epidemiologist and public health medicine specialist with a distinguished career in cancer prevention and screening programme development
- Prof John Thompson - a world leader in surgical treatment of melanoma and therapies for recurrent melanoma
- Assoc Prof Scott Menzies - a leader in the research and development of diagnostic technologies for primary melanoma.
The Summit also featured distinguished New Zealand speakers who addressed a wide range of issues, including environmental and behavioural challenges to prevention, the consumer perspective, challenges for primary care and research innovations.
At the Summit's conclusion, participants unanimously agreed to establish a network to link all health professionals working in melanoma. The Melanoma Network's challenge will be to ensure an integrated consumer centred approach involving health promoters, health professionals, researchers and policy makers. For further information visit www.melanomanetwork.co.nz
Summit sponsors included the HSC, Cancer Society of New Zealand, Melanoma Foundation of New Zealand, Genesis Oncology Trust, New Zealand Guidelines Group and the Ministry of Health.
Co-chairs Mr Gary Duncan and Associate Prof Graham Stevens with Associate Prof Scott Menzies
