Jim Chalmers reveals he had a dangerous skin cancer, melanoma and health problems

Treasurer Jim Chalmers has revealed he was scared of skin cancer and warned Australians to be vigilant with their health.

Mr Chalmers said he was diagnosed with melanoma on his chest in late 2020 and is now speaking out to raise awareness.

“I was honestly one of those very smug guys; Growing up in Queensland during the summer holidays you rarely wear a t-shirt, have very little sunscreen on and therefore get a little complacent about the sun,” he said on 2CC.

“I got particularly smug about a mark on my chest that had been there for a while.”

Treasurer Jim Chalmers (pictured with his children) announced he has had a melanoma surgically removed

Mr Chalmers only allowed himself to be seen while he was in the doctor’s office.

“As he pounded a script into me on his keyboard, I said to him, ‘What are you thinking about this on my chest?'” he said.

“I could tell by his face and what he said later that I needed to get it checked out.

“I did it and it was melanoma and I had to have it cut out of my breast.”

After the melanoma was surgically removed, Mr Chalmers said he suffered from some post-surgical “drama” following its discovery.

“Even in Question Time, at one point I had a little pump on my chest and a few other similar things,” he said.

“I’ve really had a good few months to reflect on what it means to take better care of myself and be more mindful of my health. Like many Australians, I can do that much better.’

Mr Chalmers (above) said he had several complications after having his skin cancer surgically removed and at one stage had a “small pump” attached to his chest

Mr Chalmers encouraged Australians to get regular skin checks (above) to get dangerous skin cancer removed before it gets worse

Mr Chalmers said he was acutely aware of how bad things could have been if he hadn’t checked the mark.

“People die from skin cancer, but it’s also a very common thing and thankfully it’s becoming more common for people to find it early enough to do something about it,” he said.

“It can obviously be life threatening if you don’t get to it in time and although I left mine late, I got in there with the help of the doctor and surgeon to sort it out in time.”

He has now asked Australians to do more for their health.

“We cannot be complacent about these things; We’ve got to have those checks, we’ve got to have the sunscreen on and the rashie and the hats,” he said.

“A lot of us are very good at it when it comes to our kids, but when it comes to our own health, going to the pool or going to the beach or going for a jog or whatever, we have to be really sun smart. ‘