Thursday, March 31, 2011

Road to Healthy Skin Tour

Did you know that more people have Skin Cancer than ANY other cancer?  In fact, there are more cases of skin cancer than many other cancers combined!  It’s true!  The good news is there are far fewer deaths related to skin cancer than from other types, because, if detected early, further complications can be avoided.  And while this fact might set you at ease, it’s important to know that skin cancer CAN kill if left untreated or undetected.
With this in mind, the Skin Cancer Foundation has kicked off their 4th Annual “Road to Healthy Skin Tour.”  Sponsored by Rite-Aid and Aveeno, this RV (customized with two exam rooms) is touring 24 states and providing free full-body skin exams by local volunteer dermatologists.  This year’s tour started in Florida on March 11, and as of March 30, less than three weeks into the tour, they have found the following suspicious markings on those that have been screened:
·         Melanoma:  9
·         Actinic Keratosis:  145
·         Basal Cell Carcinoma:  51
·         Squamous Cell Carcinoma:  24
I fear what might have happened to these folks had they not been screened…particular the 9 with Melanoma!  Approximately 8,700 people died of Melanoma every year, and even 2,500 people die of the supposed less serious Squamous Cell Carcinoma.
The tour stops in Raleigh, NC on April 13, 14 and 16.  I plan to visit on the 13th and talk with the folks about their foundation and their experiences thus far on the tour.  And of course, I will undergo a free skin check myself.  Check back here for any updates as well as a report of my experience, and check the Skin Cancer Foundation website for any tour stops in your town.
And to my friends and family in West Virginia, it appears the Mountain State is not on the tour, so please see your dermatologist within a year’s time for a full-body skin exam.  Do you really want to take the chance that some silly mole or dry spot is nothing to worry about?

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