Mark your calendars. A free community skin cancer screening is set to return to Reno on May 14, giving residents a chance to get checked by local dermatologists at a new location inside Reno Public Market.
The third annual Biggest Little Skin Cancer Screening will run from 3:30-7 p.m. and is open to the public on a first-come, first-served basis.
Organizers said the event typically draws about 200 people each year and is aimed especially at those without health insurance or who cannot easily take time off work.
For the third year in a row, the event will also include support from medical students at the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine. Students help with outreach and flyer distribution ahead of the event, assist with check-in on the day of the screenings, and shadow dermatologists to gain hands-on clinical experience. Organizers said more than two dozen students have taken part since the event began, many of them interested in specializing in dermatology.
Local dermatologist Dr. Whitney Hovenic and other doctors from Skin Cancer and Dermatology Institute will conduct the screenings. If a suspicious lesion or possible skin cancer is found, on-site staff will help connect people with follow-up care.
Previous events have led to dozens of follow-up referrals and more than two dozen “likely” skin cancers identified, including melanomas, which are the most dangerous form of skin cancer.
“Anyone who has skin can get skin cancer, and with more than 300 days of sunshine here in the Truckee Meadows, we have a little higher risk of developing skin cancer if we’re not extra vigilant with sunscreen or other preventive measures,” Dr. Hovenic said. “The great thing is that if we find abnormal growths and cancerous lesions early, we can easily treat them, sometimes right in the office.”
The Nevada Cancer Coalition scheduled the event during Skin Cancer Awareness Month in May. It is supported in part by a grant from Castle Biosciences and will include a screening of part of the documentary “Conquering Skin Cancer,” which features NCC board member and Nevada resident Stacey Escalante.
People attending are encouraged to wear loose-fitting clothing so doctors can more easily examine sun-exposed areas such as the neck, arms, legs, and back. Organizers especially encourage people who work or spend significant time outdoors, including construction workers, landscapers, first responders, and outdoor athletes, to attend.
Depending on turnout, registration may close at 6:30 p.m. so providers can complete all screenings before the event ends. Those who are screened will receive a sun safety swag bag, while supplies last, including sunscreen and information on spotting suspicious moles.
Preventive guidance includes using broad-spectrum SPF 30 or higher sunscreen, wearing sun-protective clothing, using wide-brim hats and UV-blocking sunglasses, seeking shade during peak sun hours from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and avoiding tanning beds, which produce significantly higher levels of UV radiation than natural sunlight.
People are encouraged to monitor their skin using the ABCDEF method, watching for asymmetry, irregular borders, multiple or changing colors, a diameter larger than a pencil eraser, evolving changes, and symptoms such as itching or burning.
Asymmetry – moles that are an irregular shape.
Border – moles that have a ragged rather than smooth border.
Color – moles that have several colors or have changed color.
Diameter – moles that are larger than the size of a pencil eraser.
Evolving – moles that have changed over time in any of the above-mentioned ways.
Feeling – moles that itch or burn.
More information is available at SunSmartNevada.org. The Nevada Cancer Coalition is a statewide nonprofit focused on cancer prevention, early detection, survivor support, and expanding access to care through its Sun Smart Nevada program.
