Bold opening: Melanoma can hit anyone, even when you’ve spent a lifetime avoiding the sun. And this is how one Canberra woman turned her scare into a mission to save lives.
When Courtney Edwards was 37, a routine haircut led to a life-changing discovery: a spot on her scalp spotted by her hairdresser. With no family history of melanoma and a long history of sun protection, she booked a precautionary GP visit. The doctor found no obvious signs and suggested a check-up in six months.
In December 2024, a biopsy was taken as a precaution. The result was positive, and Courtney’s world shifted in an instant.
Her parents had always emphasized sun safety. “I was that kid at the beach—rash vest, broad-brim hat—while my friends wore bikinis,” she recalls. A few childhood sunburns happened, but they were accidental. Now, Courtney is among thousands of Australians living with melanoma.
Melanoma is often called Australia’s national cancer. This year, about 16,800 Australians are expected to be diagnosed. Not long ago, advanced melanoma was nearly always fatal, with patients rarely living beyond months. Today, thanks to research at the Melanoma Institute Australia (MIA), early detection can cure up to 90 percent of melanomas.
Courtney’s diagnosis was a large, invasive Stage 2 melanoma. She underwent multiple surgeries to remove the cancer and to check lymph nodes. Over the past year, she participated in an immunotherapy clinical trial with MIA and, to date, shows no evidence of disease.
She acknowledges that the experience, while painful, carried silver linings. Participating in the trial provided reassurance about her future and helped her live without constantly worrying about recurrence. The data collected in her treatment also contributes to refining therapies for future patients.
Melanoma has touched every area of Courtney’s life—from her relationships to her career. She now aims to help end the disease and is fundraising for Melanoma March, a major annual event that brings together families and communities to fund melanoma research.
Melanoma March began as a community effort in 2012, initiated by Manly resident James Economides in memory of his son, Michael, who died of melanoma in 2008 at age 20. This event has grown into the Melanoma Institute Australia’s flagship fundraiser.
The 2026 march will take place on Sunday, 1 March, at Black Mountain Peninsula Park. Courtney will join fellow Canberrans as they take steps to save lives.
“Canberra has notably high melanoma rates for such a small region,” Courtney notes. “People affected by melanoma—patients, families, and friends—gain real encouragement from seeing so many participants.”
Cancer can be a very lonely journey. Having supporters rally around you is hard to overstate in its impact.
As she prepares to walk, Courtney wants to share a crucial message: melanoma is largely preventable.
“Protecting your skin from the sun needs a layered approach, especially in a country with very high UV exposure and among the world’s highest melanoma rates,” she explains. “Every 30 minutes in Australia, someone is diagnosed, and every six hours, someone dies. Those numbers are shocking. People often think it won’t happen to them, but it can.”
If you can’t join the Melanoma March, you can still support by hosting a “March Your Way” activity with friends or on your own.
To participate or donate, visit melanomamarch.org.au.
THE ESSENTIALS
What: Canberra Melanoma March
When: Sunday 1 March, 9:00 am
Where: Black Mountain Peninsula Park, Garryowen Drive, Acton
Web: melanomamarch.org.au
Note: Feature image is provided by the Melanoma Institute Australia’s Facebook page.
