Melanoma Canada’s Innovative Screening Unit ‘Mole Mobile’ Will Continue Its Tour, Making Skin Cancer Screening Services More Accessible For Thousands Of People Across BC And Quebec
Melanoma Canada is proud to announce the 2024 tour of its groundbreaking Mole Mobile, mobile skin cancer screening unit. Melanoma Canada is thrilled to expand their fleet of Mole Mobiles to two and will be providing skin cancer screenings to communities in Quebec and British Columbia in April (in Quebec) and early May (in British Columbia). The Mole Mobile tours, presented by our national sponsor Neutrogena®, a Kenvue brand, aims to make skin cancer screenings more accessible, particularly for remote, Indigenous, and underserved communities, as well as major cities with long wait times to see a dermatologist, while promoting the importance of sun safety to prevent skin cancer.
“We know how important sun protection, skin screening, and early detection are in reducing the incidences of melanoma and other skin cancers,” says Katie Decker, Managing Director, Kenvue, Canada. “We are incredibly proud to support Melanoma Canada as they work to expand their ability to provide education to improve health outcomes, and offer potential life-saving skin cancer screenings to more communities across the country.”
Previously launched in Ontario in May 2023, this initiative has already brought hope to thousands of Canadians. During the Ontario tour, dermatologists aboard the Mole Mobile provided free skin cancer screenings to 4,078 patients across 42 communities. They identified a staggering 772 suspicious lesions, potential melanomas, or skin cancers, underlining the urgent need for accessible skin cancer screenings.
In Quebec and British Columbia, the severe shortage of dermatologists – 220 dermatologists in Quebec and merely 95 in British Columbia – has led to extensive wait times exceeding 24 months for some residents.
On April 27, 2024, the Mole Mobile’s second tour commences at Lower Canada College in Notre Dame de Grace (N.D.G) where Melanoma Canada will host their Smash Out Skin Cancer Celebrity Pickleball Tournament, a fundraising event, to support the Mole Mobile. Actors Billy Baldwin and John O’Hurley, dedicated supporters of Melanoma Canada, will join the event in an effort to raise awareness and funds.
The 2024 Mole Mobile tour has been made possible due to the support of an incredible list of partners and sponsors, including the presenting national sponsor Neutrogena®, national partner and supporters the Canadian Dermatology Association and BC Cancer, National sponsors: Jamieson Wellness, Pfizer, Sanofi, TD Bank Group, Charles, Evelyne and Sandra Dolanksy Foundation, and Nissan. Partners on the local level include London Drugs, the Drive for the Cure Foundation, and the Jess & Red Hamilton Fund in BC and Jean Coutu and the Jarislowsky Foundation in Quebec. The Mole Mobiles will stop at Nissan Dealerships, Jean Coutu and London Drugs Stores across the provinces.
“Currently, in Quebec, more than 102,000 patients are waiting to see a dermatologist, with only ~220 practicing dermatologists in the province. The situation is dire in northern remote communities, where people must travel hundreds of miles to see a specialist after a prolonged wait. If current trends continue soon, 1 in 3 Canadians will be affected by skin cancer,” said Ivan V. Litvinov, MD, Ph.D., FRCPC, Chair of the Mole Mobile in QC. “Some cancers are easily treatable, such as basal cell or squamous cell carcinomas, but may leave behind disfiguring/mutilating scars on the face and other sun-exposed areas. Others, such as melanoma and Merkel Cell Carcinoma, are deadly if not caught and treated early. Sun avoidance and early detection through screening/skin checks remain important ways to decrease skin cancer burden and mortality in Canada.”
As for the BC tour, Dr. Sunil Kalia, MD, MHSc, FAAD, FRCPC, Chair of the Mole Mobile in BC says, “With skin cancer being the most common type of cancer in Canada, it is important to have access for concerning skin growths to be evaluated. However, the wait times to see a dermatologist in British Columbia exceed over one to two years, in both urban and rural areas. Assessment of skin lesions can be done with minimum equipment, and the largest barrier is being assessed by an expert. The Mole Mobile helps this barrier for access to care, and more importantly, make the general public aware of the importance of skin cancer screening. Both primary prevention, through decreasing ultraviolet radiation exposure, and with secondary prevention, by screening for skin cancer, are important in the early pathway for skin cancer care to prevent morbidity and mortality.”
Undoubtedly, this skin cancer screening unit holds an unparalleled distinction, being the first of its kind in Canada. It represents a monumental stride towards enhancing the accessibility of skin cancer screening services for the Canadian population. In addition to the skin cancer screening, individuals received information on self-screening for melanoma and skin cancers and the importance of sun safety in preventing these cancers.
“Melanoma and skin cancer rates continue to rise, with three Canadians dying daily from melanoma. Early detection is crucial for improving outcomes. The Mole Mobile is a temporary solution to shine a light on the shortage of dermatologists, especially in remote communities. We look forward to continuing to make inroads and bringing our Mole Mobile Tour to QC and BC this year to help speed up time to diagnosis and bring screenings to those who need it most,” said Falyn Katz, CEO of Melanoma Canada.
For more information visit molemobile.ca.
