Deborah Hutton: "My Battle with Skin Cancer"

When TV presenter and businesswoman Deborah Hutton, 51, experienced a serious skin cancer scare two years ago, it provided a major wake-up call. The worst part wasn’t the surgery or the recovery - it was the fact that, like 99% of non-melanoma skin cancers and 95% of melanomas, hers could have been avoided – simply by being sun smart.

“In 2011, I underwent major surgery to have an infiltrating basal cell carcinoma on my top lip removed. I’d ignored the spot for ages, thinking it was just a pimple, but when it became numb I finally got it checked out – and the diagnosis felt like it was a nightmare,” reflects Hutton, now an ambassador for the Skin & Cancer Foundation. “It was so stressful because in worst-case scenarios, skin cancers can be life threatening. In fact, almost 2000 people die from them every year in Australia,” she says.

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The stats are sobering: two in three Australians will be diagnosed with skin cancer by the time they’re 70, and we are four times more likely to develop skin cancer than any other type of cancer. What’s more, it’s on the rise, with melanoma diagnoses spiking around 50% between 1982 and 2007, and GP consultations to treat non-melanoma skin cancer increasing by 14% in the same timeframe.

In Hutton’s case, sun seeking in her youth was the likely culprit. “Growing up, I never protected myself from the sun. There was no such thing as being ‘sun-safe’. Using sunscreen or covering up with a hat just wasn’t done. My weekends were often spent enjoying the sun and beach on the Gold Coast in Queensland,” she says. “Because of that I now represent a generation that’s suffering the consequences of not protecting their skin.”

The good news is, recent Cancer Council research shows Australian adults are less interested in getting a tan and fewer are experiencing sunburn. Still, when it comes to sun protection, there’s room for improvement, with only 36% of us wearing sunscreen, a mere 45% covering up with a hat and 28% seeking shade when outdoors.

For Hutton, being sun-smart is a no-brainer these days. “I wish I could turn back time to prevent my severe sun damage,” she reflects. “I know that’s not possible but I now aim to control it (not add to it), stay educated about sun safety, cover up whenever I’m outside, raise awareness of the dangers of skin cancer in Australia, and stay proactive with both my health and skin checks. I visit my dermatologist every six months without fail. I’m still outdoorsy – I love the beach, playing golf and walking my dog Billie – but I’m constantly aware of the sun and covering up.”

Read the full story on Deborah Hutton in Prevention magazine’s April issue issue. On sale now.

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