New melanoma research centre for Perth

Research in to the genetic causes of melanoma will be the focus of the new Scott Kirkbride Melanoma Research Centre, recently established at the University of Western Australia's Centre for Medical Research in Perth.

The new research centre is the initiative of Rob and Evonne Kirkbride, who lost their 27 year-old son Scott to melanoma earlier this year.

"The basic plan is to look at the genetics of melanoma, to identify new candidate genes and confirm those already identified," said Prof Peter Klinken, director of WAIMR and the UWA Centre for Medical Research.

Australia leads the world in the incidence of melanoma or skin cancer -- it is the most common cancer in 15 to 39 year olds and the third most prevalent cancer in Australia.

Although melanoma accounts for only about 4 per cent of all skin cancer cases, it causes the most skin cancer-related deaths. There are often few symptoms until the disease has progressed to an advanced stage, however, if melanoma is detected and treated in its early stages it is often treatable.

Prof Lyle Palmer, from the Laboratory for Genetic Epidemiology at the Western Australian Institute for Medical Research (WAIMR), will lead the research and will use DNA samples to track nevi (eg. moles), the precursors of melanoma.

"We want to use the Western Australian health record system to help with the genetic epidemiology," said Klinken. "Another issue we are considering looking at is whether there are other factors which might be contributing to melanoma that we haven't picked up. The fact that melanoma is still on the increase in Australia despite all the 'slip-slop-slap' messages that are out there suggests there may be something else going on, perhaps some other environmental influence."

The Kirkbrides aim to raise $250,000 per year for five years to support the centre. This will be met dollar-for-dollar by the University of Western Australia.

"The initial goal is the genetics, epidemiology and environmental factors," said Klinken. "Our ultimate goal is to set up new clinical trials for new treatments for the disease."