A mobile clinic is making its way across Quebec this summer to raise awareness about a problem health officials say is on the rise.
Falyn Katz, CEO of Melanoma Canada the group responsible for the clinic, points out that skin cancer isn’t being diagnosed early enough because the majority of people don’t know the signs to look for.
“It’s going to travel across Quebec this year, providing skin cancer education, doing assessments and also doing skin cancer screenings in select communities,” Katz told Global News of the mobile clinic.
Dermatologist Dr. Philippe Lefrançois, who conducted the first screenings at the clinic, says he’s concerned about the rise in the number of skin cancer cases.
“We know there’s an epidemic of skin cancer in the country and in North America in general,” he explains. “Especially in Quebec which has the worst access to dermatologists for proper screening.”
Katz adds that people don’t protect their skin from the sun. She notes, “one in three cancers diagnosed is skin cancer. It’s actually more common than breast, prostate, lung and colon combined.”
According to her, three Canadians die daily from melanoma.
Pam Wener was among the first to get screened at the Percival Molson Stadium in Montreal, where the clinic made its first stop. She was attending the Défi Canderel, an event to raise funds for cancer research.
“My brother is the organizer of the event,” she grins.
Wener decided to get screened because she saw an irregularity on her face.
“(Lefrançois) said it’s nothing to worry about, but it’s pre-cancerous and I made an appointment to go and see him,” she says. “So I’m glad that I got screened.”
The good news, Lefrançois says, is that the majority of skin cancers, which happen most often on the face, are treatable if caught early. However, the more cancers you have, the greater the risk of getting it again.
“And, if you start to have all those procedures on your face, it’s many surgeries and it can be disfiguring,” he cautions.
The better news, he reassures, is that skin cancer is preventable. Lefrançois stresses that protection from the sun is best because the cancer can take decades to develop. He also advises people to use sunscreen even if they have dark skin, and to be careful about tanning beds.
Doctors advise the public to get checked out if a mole on your skin is irregular. They point to the ABCDEs of melanoma as a guide for what to watch for: Asymmetry, Border, Colour, Diameter and if the mole is Evolving.
Lefrançois also warns that dark-skinned people especially should check the palms of their hands or the soles of their feet, as well as fingernail and toenails.
Wener, who says she usually wears sunscreen, agrees that people aren’t doing enough to protect themselves from the sun, and admits there’s more she can do.
“I’m going to wear a hat when I garden, even though I hate it,” she laughs.
The “mole mobile” will be on the road until the end of September.