The Skin Cancer Foundation Provides Record Number of Skin Cancer Screenings in 2024

After six months on the road in 2024, our Destination Healthy Skin program has wrapped up its journey for the year. We set out in mid-April for the spring leg of the program, hosting events around the western half of the U.S. until taking a break for the summer. Now, we’ve finished the fall half of our journey, holding events in more than a dozen communities around the East Coast and southern states.

Thanks to 68 volunteer dermatologists, The Skin Cancer Foundation provided more screenings in 2024 than any year in the past — 2,439! Our physicians identified 1,009 potential skin cancers and precancers, including 86 melanomas.

Here are some highlights from the second half of our program:

Late Summer in the Midwest

Though the RV took a summer vacation this year, we still made it to Indianapolis for an event at an Indianapolis Colts scrimmage in August. The DHS RV, in its third consecutive visit to Grand Park Sports Campus, hosted hundreds of fans over two days, and volunteer dermatologists conducted 70 screenings.

Two weeks later, the team rolled into Glencoe, Illinois, to officially kick off the second half of this year’s program. Yazan Alghalith, MD, screened 27 people during a busy morning at the park, and longtime volunteer dermatologist Martha Arroyo, MD, PhD, rounded out the day, screening through the afternoon.

“It’s important to get a skin cancer screening periodically,” said Barry, a participant from Highland Park. “I really appreciate the opportunity.”

Harvest Month in the Southeast

Destination Healthy Skin stopped for a quick event in Columbus, Ohio, where Susan Massick, MD, identified a total of 15 potential skin cancers and precancers. Next on the agenda was two days in Dayton, Ohio, where the team set up at a busy shopping center. News segments about the program drove participants to the events, and volunteer doctors screened 118 people over two days!

Leah, a melanoma warrior and supporter of The Skin Cancer Foundation, volunteered at all three Ohio events, helping to process participants and posting about the program on social media.

Our next stop was in Morgantown, West Virginia, a community we were thrilled to return to since we haven’t visited since 2014. Mary J. Hall, MD, generously volunteered to screen for two full days, identifying a whopping 12 suspected melanomas on day two. Many participants expressed gratitude to the team because they didn’t have insurance or were unable to visit a dermatologist because of long wait times. Dr. Hall did an interview with a local news station, explaining the warning signs of skin cancer to viewers and urging them to visit their dermatologist. Brittanny, a Stage III melanoma warrior and Save Destination Healthy Skin Advocate, attended the Morgantown events, and shared her story with participants.

Five Days in the Empire State

As September drew to a close, Destination Healthy Skin came home to New York City. As the location of the Foundation’s headquarters, New York always proves an exciting and rewarding venue for DHS events! A total of 11 volunteer dermatologists and their supporting staff participated over nearly a week of screenings. The RV was parked in both Midtown Manhattan and Brighton Beach, Brooklyn, where more than 1,000 people attended events to receive screenings, pick up sun protection samples and learn about skin cancer.

Heading South for Fall

With Fall in full swing, the RV rolled into North Carolina, spending three days in downtown Raleigh with both longtime and new dermatologist volunteers. Many participants were happy to give themselves peace of mind about concerning spots on their skin, but some came out of their screenings with follow up plans — one woman who underwent a screening with Carol Trakimas, DO, left with an appointment scheduled for a biopsy on a suspected basal cell carcinoma.

After a quick event in Athens, Georgia, during which Dr. Patrick Retterbush, MD, screened 19 people at the local library, the DHS team headed to the sunshine state. We stopped in Central and South Florida first, hosting three days of screenings in Orlando and Miami. Despite brutally muggy weather, our volunteer doctors identified nearly 40 suspected skin cancers and precancers, including three melanomas.

Completing our 2024 Journey

Entering the final month of this year’s program, the RV looped back up to the Gulf Coast and panhandle of Florida to finish our time in the southernmost contiguous state. Three volunteer dermatologists in Tampa and Panama City Beach screened 65 people, including several participants who had visited the RV in the past and were excited to return.

Next, we visited Dothan, Alabama, where Jeffrey Stricker, DO, returned as a volunteer for the second year in a row. After that, we made our first stop in Kentucky in many years — Evelyn Jones, MD, and Haldon H. Ford, MD, performed screenings in Paducah, finding time to educate the public between identifying 46 potential skin cancers and precancers. Dr. Jones spoke with the local news, sharing warning signs of skin cancers with viewers.

Before bringing the RV home to Rockford, where it lives during the winter, the team made one final stop in Schaumberg, Illinois. Maria I. Al-Basha, MD, who also volunteered in Rockford during the spring, performed screenings during our last event of the year on November 23.

It was a whirlwind trip around the country, but our program staff and volunteer dermatologists once again accomplished so much! We couldn’t have done it without our 2024 program sponsors, EltaMD Skin Care; Jergens Natural Glow; L’Oréal Paris; Castle Biosciences; dsm-firmenich; Sun Bum; Genentech, A Member of the Roche Group; and Merck & Co., Inc.; whose support fueled the journey.

Planning for 2025 is already underway! We’re eager to get back on the road to provide more free screenings and hope you’ll join us again by supporting our  journey to the ultimate destination: healthy skin for all! Sign up for updates on the schedule here.

Keep Destination Healthy Skin Rolling!

We’re thrilled to have completed another successful year of Destination Healthy Skin, but we need your help to prepare for the next one. We’ve launched the Save Destination Healthy Skin campaign to raise funds for the purchase of a new RV to keep DHS on the road, screening people around the country and saving lives.

DHS cannot continue with a 14-year-old RV. Replacing the RV for our 2025 season will keep our free skin cancer screenings going strong for years to come. You can help us save this lifesaving program with a donation of any amount.

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