Freckle, Mole, or More? This Weekend, Free Skin Checks Offer Peace of Mind

Freckle, Mole, or More? This Weekend, Free Skin Checks Offer Peace of Mind

A few blistering, lobster-red sunburns as a kid. Fair skin, light eyes, sprinkled with a hearty helping of freckles. A family history of melanoma.

When it comes to protecting your skin from cancer, you can’t be too safe. By far the most common of all cancers, skin cancer can be dangerous – especially melanoma, a kind of skin cancer arising of pigment-producing cells called melanocytes. While melanoma accounts for less than 5 percent of skin cancer cases, it causes a large majority of skin cancer deaths.

Luckily, skin cancer is almost always curable if caught early. But how can you discern between a normal, healthy mole and one that’s cause for concern? In the clip below, you can hear URMC dermatologist Dr. Marc Brown discuss skin cancer, the importance of practicing “safe sun,” and some tips to help you identify suspicious moles at home.

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What’s more, if you’re in Rochester, you can be proactive about your skin health this weekend by stopping by Strong Memorial Hospital’s Free Skin Cancer Screening Clinic between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. this Saturday, May 7. No registration is required; take the Silver Elevators to the 2^nd floor to find the Dermatology Suite. Each screening takes about five to ten minutes and offers a written report of findings. Information on skin cancer, including prevention tips, will be available.

For more information about the free detection clinic, contact the Dermatology Department at (585) 275-3871.

The annual screening event is sponsored by the American Academy of Dermatology, Rochester Dermatologic Society, and URMC’s Department of Dermatology.

Dr. Brown specializes in the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of skin cancers. In addition to performing Mohs surgery on more than 1,200 patients a year, he also runs a multidisciplinary melanoma group practice.

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*  The above story is adapted from materials provided by University of Rochester Medical Center

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