Beginning its cross-country course in April in Miami Beach and making 80 stops along the way in a variety of locations, including New York, Boston and Los Angeles, the Skin Cancer Foundation’s Road to Healthy Skin Tour is coming to Santa Barbara on Sept. 2 to offer free skin cancer screenings and the latest skin cancer information.
“The Cancer Center of Santa Barbara is pleased to host this important skin cancer screening event because we believe that early detection is the key to survival,” said Lisa Hashbarger, the center’s health education coordinator. “With more than 1 million skin cancers diagnosed each year in the United States, we aim towards saving lives and educating the public about skin cancer prevention.”
With one in five Americans developing skin cancer in the course of their lifetime, skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States. It is also one of the most preventable and, when detected early, treatable forms of cancer. Yet, more than 10,000 people in the United States die from skin cancer every year.
The free screenings will be offered from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. Sept. 2 at La Cumbre Plaza, 3815 State St., near Williams-Sonoma and Sears.
Visit the 38-foot customized RV to receive a quick, easy and potentially lifesaving full-body skin cancer screening by local dermatologists in one of two private rooms. Educational materials that explain how to perform monthly skin checks at home and the proper ways to protect the skin from the sun on a daily basis will be provided. In addition, sunscreen samples, coupons and other information will be distributed.
In 2008, the Road to Healthy Skin Tour traveled 17,650 miles and made 81 stops. It attracted nearly 7,000 visitors and screened more than 3,000. More than 3,200 suspicious markings were detected and 39 suspected cases of melanoma.
— Daniella Elghanayan is a publicist.