Dermatology Specialists Announces Results Of Free Skin Cancer Screenings

June 17, 2022 (Panama City, FL) – Dermatology Specialists, a comprehensive dermatology clinic with offices in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi, has announced the results of the free skin cancer screenings that it had offered in May 2022 for Skin Cancer Awareness Month.

The screenings were offered at multiple locations in the states where Dermatology Specialists operates. The locations were Panama City Beach, Panama City, Marianna, Santa Rosa Beach, Port St Joe, and Tallahassee in Florida, Dothan, Auburn, Gadsden, Troy, Enterprise, and Madison in Alabama, LaGrange, Dunwoody, and Athens in Georgia, and at the Biloxi location in Mississippi. Dermatology Specialists managed to book 178 free screenings during the month of May. Out of all of the free screenings, there were 26 diagnoses of some type of skin cell cancer – 15 for Basal Cell Carcinoma, 5 for Squamous Cell Carcinoma, and 6 for Melanoma.

A spokesperson for Dermatology Specialists called the free screenings a success and said, “Our mission is to promote skin health and wellness among the residents of the states we serve. We spend a great deal of effort ensuring our patients have access to all types of advanced treatments for general and cosmetic dermatology. With this initiative, we also wanted to draw attention to the data on skin cancer, one of the most prevalent forms of cancer in the country. Every year around 5.4 million basal and squamous cell skin cancers are diagnosed in about 3.3 million people in the country, with a large percentage of people suffering from more than one. One in five Americans will develop skin cancer at some point in their life. The results of the free skin cancer screenings that were organized in May are consistent with these approximations as about an eighth of our participants were suspected to show indications that they may be suffering from at least one type of skin cancer. Once results were analyzed, it confirmed the importance to raise awareness about this potentially deadly, but highly curable form of cancer. If you live in the southern states where the harsh sun beats down on residents for most of the year, there is a good chance that your body may develop cancer-like cells due to long-term exposure to UV radiation from the sun. However, it is not all doom and gloom as modern medicine has found a way around these types of cancers and many treatments are available to ensure that you can overcome them and live normal fulfilling lives. Regular checkups are the best way to receive an accurate diagnosis. Call us or visit our website to schedule an appointment today.”

There are two categories of skin cancer – melanoma and non-melanoma. The former is rarer but far more aggressive and a cause for concern though both types can be mitigated when diagnosed and treated in time. Non-melanoma cancers are of two types – basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. Basal cell carcinoma, the most common form of skin cancer, affects cells of the deepest layer of the epidermis and manifests in the form of waxy bumps, sores, or scars. It is slow-growing and rarely metastasizes. Squamous cell carcinoma occurs in the uppermost layers of the skin or the epidermis and appears as a scab with a crusty patch growing on top of inflamed, red skin.

Melanoma, the most serious form of skin cancer, can appear anywhere on the body. It develops in the form of a tumor due to skin cells, that produce pigments, mutating and proceeding to grow rapidly. Melanoma can spread to other parts of the body if left untreated.