By: Danielle Dufour
The Mole Mobile Clinic is coming to five cities in Saskatchewan the first week of August and is offering free skin checks.
“We bring certified Canadian dermatologist across Canada to help get people checked who have lesions or moles that they are concerned about,” said Fayln Katz, CEO of Melanoma Canada.
Roughly 91,000 Canadians were diagnosed with skin cancers this year.
“Which is actually more than breast, prostate, lung and colon cancers combined,” said Katz. “About 30 people every day are going to be diagnosed with melanoma.”
Melanoma is a serious and potentially deadly type of skin cancer that forms in the pigmented cells of the skin. Its primary cause is Ultraviolet light (UV rays) from the sun or tanning beds.
Not all moles are dangerous.
There are some things to look for when checking moles, such as the “A-B-C-D-E”. A is for asymmetry, B for a border that is not jagged or fuzzy, C for colour, D for diameter, and E for evolution of the mole.
“We encourage people to check their skin every month,” said Katz.
Melanoma is one of the fastest growing cancers worldwide. In Canada, diagnosed cases of melanoma have more than tripled in the last 30 years and continue to rise. Over 1,300 Canadians die from this disease each year.
“Unfortunately, we are losing three people every day to melanoma,” said Katz. “Early detection for melanoma saves lives.”
There is currently a shortage of dermatologists across Canada. Katz said, “We’ve got 800 for a population of over 40 million people.”
The goal is to conduct upwards of 25,000 skin checks this summer at the clinics.
Kitty Castle attended one of the Mole Mobile clinics in August of last summer in north Vancouver.
She first read about the free clinic in her local newspaper.
“It’s just luck that I’d seen the advertisement for it and decided that was a perfect day I could go,” said Castle.
The free skin check clinic was very busy, but Castle said she seen the dermatologist within four hours of arriving.
“When I got to see the dermatologist, she was very welcoming. I didn’t feel rushed at all, and she looked at the areas that I was concerned about,” said Castle.
The dermatologist noted two spots of concern and handed Castle a form to take to her family physician to get herself referred to a dermatologist for follow-up where a biopsy was taken.
“Before I knew it, I had a referral to a surgeon at a special clinic called the MOHS clinic in Richmond,” said Castle. “These two spots were cancer, and they were dealt with by the end of the year.”
Castle said that had she not heard about the clinic, she likely would have not had her skin checked out.
“That’s the value of local radio, local newspapers that you get this kind of information,” said Castle.
Today, Castle said she is doing fine and scars from her surgery are barely visible.
“A year after I initially went to that mobile clinic, (I am) really comfortable and happy with the medical system and Melanoma Canada for offering this service,” said Castle.
If you have a mole or some area of concern, Castle suggests attending one of these clinics and said, “It’s just reassuring to have it checked out and focus your mind on what really concerns you.”
For more information visit: https://melanomacanada.ca/
Free Skin Clinics in Saskatchewan:
Saturday, August 1st – Saskatoon
Walmart – 1706 Preston Ave N.
10 am – 4 pm
Sunday, August 2nd – Prince Albert
Walmart – 800 15 ST E
10 am – 4 pm
Friday, August 7th – Moose Jaw
Walmart – 551 Thatcher D
10 am – 4 pm
Saturday, August 8th – Regina
Walmart – 2150 Prince of Wales Dr.
10 am – 4 pm
Sunday, August 9th – Yorkton
Walmart – 240 Hamilton Rd,
10 am – 4 pm