When members of the Lara Lions Club approached Australia resident Trish Tosh, inviting her to a free skin cancer screening in the new Lions Cancer Screening Van, she had no idea saying “yes” may have saved her life.
Each year, approximately 2,000 Australians die from skin cancer, and at least two in three Australians will develop skin cancer by the age of 70. Because there are no public funds available for skin cancer checks in the state of Victoria, the Lions of District 201-V2 used an LCIF Matching Grant to purchase and equip a mobile cancer screening unit offering free screenings to anyone who wanted to be checked.
“We live in a country with very high rates of skin cancer, and my father, who had very fair skin, had lots of small skin cancers that had to be removed throughout his life,” Tosh said. “I thought that as I had never been checked, this would be an opportune time for me to do so.”
Tosh said her experience during the screening was just like being in a normal clinic with professional staff and treatment rooms. “The ladies who worked in that van were amazing and so professional, caring and knowledgeable,” she added.
During the 15-minute screening, staff discovered a small mark on Tosh’s left forearm and marked it as an area of interest. “I was informed that they didn’t like the look of it, and if it changed in any way, shape or form, I was to seek medical advice,” Tosh said.
Several months later, Tosh said she did notice the mark started to change color, so she heeded the advice she’d received during her screening and contacted her doctor. She was referred to a dermatologist who performed a biopsy.
“I must admit I was totally oblivious to the fact that this could be cancerous. I just thought that it was a little lump that would be removed and that would be that,” Tosh said. “Needless to say, I was a bit shocked when the doctor called me to let me know that it was indeed cancerous, and I would need immediate surgery to have it removed.”
“Skin cancers can be sneaky little things and although there’s not much on the surface, it can be growing under the surface like octopus tentacles and you won’t even know it,” Tosh said. The spot she had removed was a superficial spreading melanoma, a common type of skin cancer that her doctor said was growing quite rapidly.
“I cannot thank the Lions enough for providing this service because I know without having the opportunity to get my skin checked, I wouldn’t have thought anything about the little lump on my arm, which left unchecked could have resulted in a totally different outcome,” Tosh said.
Tosh said she takes every opportunity to tell people about the mobile screening unit, and everyone always wants to know where the van will be next and how they, too, can get checked.
To date, more than 9,200 people have had their skin checked in the unit. Nearly 3,500 people were referred for follow up treatment after that screening. And, because of this project, more than 41 life-threatening lesions were discovered.
“In a country with such high skin cancer rates, we need to get more of these vans as they are providing an amazing opportunity for people,” Tosh said, adding “Thank you Lions! YOU are amazing!”
To learn more about how an LCIF grant can help you address an unmet need in your community, visit lionsclubs.org/grantstoolkit.
Andrea Small is the senior marketing and public relations specialist for Lions Clubs International Foundation.
