Skin Cancer Awareness Month: Resources to Share With Your Patients

It is estimated that in the United States, 1 in 5 individuals will develop skin cancer by the time they are 70 years old.¹

More than 9,500 people are diagnosed and 2 people in the US die of skin cancer each hour,² and total skin cancer diagnoses surpass the number of cancer diagnoses received for all cancers combined.³

May is Skin Cancer Awareness Month, and Dermatology Times is spotlighting a variety of resources to share with your patients. If you have a specific resource or association that you recommend to patients with skin cancer, email us at DTEditor@mmhgroup.com to share with us.

1. Skin Cancer Foundation

The Skin Cancer Foundation's website is home to a number of tools for patients. With information about skin cancer, how to spot skin cancer early, determining risk of skin cancer, and more, patients are offered guidance in all stages--whether they are looking to prevent skin cancer early in life or need resources during their skin cancer journey.

The foundation also offers a mobile, traveling skin check service known as Destination Healthy Skin, wherein volunteer dermatology clinicians travel the US in an RV to provide patients with free-of-cost screenings and educational services.

2. AIM at Melanoma Foundation

AIM at Melanoma works to conduct research, inspire legislation and advocacy, and provide the public with education and support.

For patients, their website consists of various resources explaining the prevention, detection, and treatment of melanoma. The site also contains a "Melanoma Learning Center," complete with patient symposiums, webinars on demand, and more. Patients can also access support by talking to a medical expert, viewing survivor stories and gaining peer support, and more.

3. Melanoma Research Alliance's Melanoma Exchange

The Melanoma Research Alliance's Melanoma Exchange is an online melanoma patient support community for recently diagnosed patients, individuals choosing a treatment path, patients searching for participation in a clinical trial, survivors and support providers seeking to give back to melanoma patients, and more.

4. Melanoma Research Foundation's Cutaneous Melanoma Resources

The Melanoma Research Foundation's website provides patients with a number of melanoma- specific resources. Patients can choose to view a webinar, attend a symposium, find support, and visit the patient forum.

Their website is home to dozens of on-demand webinars covering epidemiology, metastases, therapies, advocacy, and more.

The MRF also provides patients with a comprehensive list of additional educational, support, and melanoma- specific organizations.

5. Your Cancer Game Plan: Melanoma

This website offers patients a full range of resources for various aspects of their desired "game plan" against melanoma, including domains of health and nutrition, emotional well-being, and communication.

The resource includes information on working with a dietician, coping with health challenges, sun smart advice, handling emotional challenges and patients' "new normal," and more.

References

1. Stern, RS. Prevalence of a history of skin cancer in 2007: results of an incidence-based model. Arch Dermatol 2010; 146(3):279-282.
2. Rogers HW, Weinstock MA, Feldman SR, Coldiron BM. Incidence estimate of nonmelanoma skin cancer (keratinocyte carcinomas) in the US population, 2012. JAMA Dermatol 2015; 151(10):1081-1086.
3. Cancer Facts and Figures 2024. American Cancer Society. Accessed May 7, 2024. https://www.cancer.org/research/cancer-facts-statistics/all-cancer-facts-figures/2024-cancer-facts-figures.html