Free Skin Cancer Screenings Art of Skin MD founder supports "Road to Healthy Skin Tour"

San Diego, CA – Dr. Melanie Palm, founder of Solana Beach-based Art of Skin MD, along with Dr. Harrison McDonald, will provide free skin cancer screenings to the public on Saturday, August 30, 2014. The screenings will take place from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Rite Aid located at 7100 Avenida Encinas in Carlsbad. Offered as part of The Skin Cancer Foundation’s Road to Healthy Skin Tour, presented by Rite Aid, the free screenings will be provided within the Foundation’s customized RV that is currently touring the United States.

Participants will receive a free, full body skin cancer screening, as well as skin cancer information, sunscreen samples and additional giveaways. No appointment is necessary but the screenings will be offered on a first-come, first-served basis.

As an ambassador for The Skin Cancer Foundation, Dr. Palm seeks to raise awareness about the continuing dangers of skin cancer. “It’s the most common form of cancer in the United States,” she says, “and will affect approximately one in five Americans during their lifetime. Early detection is key.”To facilitate early detection, The Skin Cancer Foundation began operating its Road to Healthy Skin Tour in 2008. The cross-country tour works with local volunteer dermatologists to provide potentially life-saving, full-body skin cancer screenings in the organization’s 38-foot RV, which is equipped with two private exam rooms. Since the tour’s inception, more than 18,000 people have received free screenings—and more than 7,000 suspected skin cancers and precancers have been detected, including 324 suspected melanomas, the deadliest form of skin cancer. This year’s tour includes stops at more than 50 Rite Aid stores in 17 states and the District of Columbia.“Skin cancer is almost always treatable when detected early,” says Skin Cancer Foundation President Perry Robins, MD. “That’s why The Skin Cancer Foundation recommends that everyone visit a dermatologist every year for a professional skin exam, in addition to practicing monthly self-exams and paying close attention to any new or changing lesions. Doing so could save your life.”

For more information, please visit SkinCancer.org/Tour.

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About Dr. Melanie Palm and Art of Skin MD:

Dr. Melanie Palm is the founding director of Art of Skin MD, assistant clinical professor at the University of California, San Diego, and staff physician at Scripps Encinitas Memorial Hospital. She is a board-certified dermatologist and fellowship-trained cosmetic surgeon offering a full-spectrum of medical and cosmetic dermatologic care. An internationally recognized expert on cosmetic dermatology, Dr. Palm has been featured on numerous television and radio news shows, as well as in magazines and newspapers. The Art of Skin MD, located in Solana Beach, is a state-of-the-art dermatology center serving the communities of North County San Diego.