General News
13 August, 2026
Call for more government funding for complexion treatment
A MAJOR new study reveals the hundreds of thousands of skin cancer appointments and medical procedures Queenslanders are attending and undergoing each year – prompting experts to call for further investment in prevention campaigns to protect public health and ease pressure on the healthcare system.
The eight-year study followed over 40,300 Queenslanders aged 40-69, tracking the number, types and costs of skin cancer services used.
During the study period, study participants had more than 245,000 skin cancer services, accounting for 2.4% of all direct health service costs. The researchers estimate that equates to Queenslanders aged 40-69 attending around 1.49 million skin cancer appointments and procedures each year.
The QSkin Study, run by QIMR Berghofer, is the world’s largest cohort study focused on skin cancer. The latest findings were published in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health.
Other findings from the new paper include:
71% of the adults in the study used a skin cancer service
51% had one or more skin biopsies
36% had one or more non-melanoma skin cancers removed
Advertisement34% had a mole or spot excised to rule out melanoma, 5% had a melanoma removed
8% were admitted to hospital to have their skin cancers treated
Dr Daniel Lindsay, lead author from Cancer Council Queensland, says the study reveals for the first time the huge number of skin cancer appointments and treatments Queensland adults are experiencing.
“Queenslanders are very aware of the human costs of skin cancer. Most of us will be diagnosed with it at some point in our lifetime or have loved ones who have been affected,” he said.
“This study adds a new dimension to our understanding of Queensland’s skin cancer burden and highlights the thousands of medical appointments and procedures undertaken, and the proportion of health spending dedicated to the disease.
“Queensland is the skin cancer capital of the world, and this study shows we are paying a high price for the title – literally, with our personal and government spending. More than two cents in every health dollar spent on Queensland adults’ health is related to skin cancer.
“The estimated costs to the government for skin cancer treatment were estimated to be over $50 million for this study population alone – suggesting the real cost across the Queensland population is well into the hundreds of millions.”
