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A single dad battling stage four skin cancer to stay alive for his seven-year-old son has urged men to look for moles in unlikely places after finding one on his groin.
Matt Vaughan, 37, was drying himself off after a shower one morning in December 2019 when he felt a small raised lump under his right buttock.
Cobram’s addiction counselor on the NSW and Victoria border took a photo that showed a dark brown spot with a reddish and purple dash in the center, before seeing a doctor who performed a biopsy of the growth.
Two weeks later on Christmas Eve, when he should have played with his beloved boy, Nixon, the beloved father was diagnosed with stage three C melanoma.
Less than two years later, despite months of “debilitating” treatment, doctors told Matt the devastating news that cancer had spread to his brain and spine.
Matt Vaughan (right) is battling stage four skin cancer to stay alive for his beloved son, Nixon (left). He urges men to look for moles in unlikely places after finding one on his groin.
Matt shared this photo of his melanoma with Daily Mail Australia in an effort to help others
Her condition is treated as stage four, the most advanced form which is incredibly difficult to cure.
“It was really hard to deal with,” Matt told Daily Mail Australia.
“To be honest, no one in my family could believe it because I’m always the one to talk about sun safety and reapply sunscreen on kids every two hours.”
He is currently in targeted therapy at the Peter McCallum Cancer Center in Melbourne after moving in with his mother and sister who are caring for him at home.
But instead of agonizing over the future and discussing his prognosis with the doctors, Matt prefers to focus on his greatest source of strength – his son, Nixon.
Her wish is to be well enough to play soccer with her little boy and take him on vacation where they can remember, just the two of them.
“I avoided having conversations about what might happen because I really hope for the best. I would just like to play soccer on a beach with my son, ”he said.
Matt was brought up by his grandmother who was “always listening” to him about sun safety, and his skin was checked every year as a result.
However, in hindsight, he wishes he had pushed for more in-depth examinations.
“I did them religiously but I didn’t undress,” he said.
“What I would tell other men is not to be afraid to do this. You might feel like you’re losing your dignity for a minute, but you might be grateful for your whole life.
He emphasized how important it is to remember that growths can appear in places that don’t often see the sun.
“You have to know your own skin and regularly check every nook and cranny,” he said.
Addiction counselor was diagnosed with melanoma on Christmas Eve when he should have played with his seven-year-old son
Matt Vaughan is just one of more than 13,000 Australians diagnosed with melanoma each year. It was the third most common cancer in the country in 2020.
Australia and New Zealand have the highest rates of melanoma in the world, with two in three people diagnosed with the form before the age of 70, according to figures from the Australian Cancer Council.
But despite this, research from leading life insurer TAL shows that 68% of Australians have not had a skin check in the past 12 months.
Anyone can develop melanoma, but the risk is increased for those with a history of childhood tanning and sunburn, more than 10 moles above the elbow and more than 100 on the body, pale, fair, or freckled skin, and a strong family history of the disease.
The appearance of melanoma varies greatly from person to person, but the first sign is often a brand new spot or change in the shape or texture of an existing mole.
Moles can become increasingly mottled with different shades of color – brown, black, red, white, pink, and even blue – as well as develop a scaly surface and become itchy, raised, and bleeding.
Matt Vaughan’s tragic warning comes after new research showed a significant increase in melanoma rates in men living in the Victoria area, with an average 34% increase in diagnoses over the past 10 years.
From 2010 to 2014, 2,198 men were diagnosed. This number rose to 2,946 between 2015 and 2019.
Matt’s wish is to be well enough to play soccer with Nixon and take him on vacation where they can remember, just the two of them.
In response to the findings, SunSmart launched a new public awareness campaign called Do not be too long. Save your skin designed to remind men in regional areas to know their skin and to be vigilant before seeing a general practitioner if they notice any changes.
SunSmart director Heather Walker said the high rates of skin cancer in the Victoria area underscores the importance of catching it early.
“In 2019 we saw almost 300 melanoma deaths in Victoria and alarmingly twice as many men as women died from the disease,” she said.
“The reality is that skin cancer can – and kills – people. The more aggressive forms of melanoma can quickly spread to vital organs like the brain and lungs. Once it has spread, the prognosis and treatment required can be devastating.
His post comes at a time when UV rays are increasing as temperatures rise across Australia.
Minister of Health, the Hon. Martin Foley, said the Victorian government’s investment in the SunSmart campaign was only part of a broader skin cancer strategy across the state that includes improving the skills of general practitioners , especially in regional areas.
“Our investment in the early detection of skin cancer aims to both raise awareness and better equip primary care physicians on the front line for the diagnosis and triage of skin cancer presentations,” said Mr. Foley .
“Training general practitioners and providing the right equipment, especially when access to dermatologists is limited, will help save lives. “
For more information on sun protection, please visit the SunSmart website here.
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