Vanderbilt Dermatology in collaboration with the Nashville Dermatology Society is offering free skin cancer screenings on Saturday, June 15, from 9 a.m. to noon at Vanderbilt Health One Hundred Oaks, 719 Thompson Lane, Suite 26300.
It is recommended that self skin exams are done every month looking for new spots or spots that might be changing in size, shape or color. Sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher should be worn daily. A total body skin exam with a dermatologist should be performed annually.
Consider the statistics:
- One in five Americans will develop a skin cancer in their lifetime
- Melanoma is the most common form of cancer in ages 25-29
- One American dies from melanoma every hour
- Melanoma rates have doubled from 1982 to 2011
Risk factors for the development of skin cancer include: Sunlight exposure, blistering burns in childhood (even one can double the risk of melanoma), indoor tanning beds, and having greater than 50 moles. Everyone is at risk regardless of age, sex, or skin color.
For questions, please email dermatology@vumc.org.