In 2022, The Skin Cancer Foundation reached millions of people with our lifesaving messages around skin cancer prevention, early detection and treatment. We couldn’t have done it without the generous support of our physician members, corporate partners and community of healthy skin champions. Read on for what we accomplished together!
Providing 1400+ Free Skin Cancer Screenings in 24 Cities
Our Destination Healthy Skin mobile skin cancer screening and education program hit the road, ready to save some lives! During the journey, 51 volunteer dermatologists performed free skin cancer screenings in dozens of communities around the country. We witnessed some incredible stories and met some delightful people along the way!
At our very first event in New York City, one of our participants, Peter Graylin, encountered the RV right outside his office building. He had been thinking of getting a spot on his calf checked out, and decided to get a screening. Jane Yoo, MD, our volunteer for the day immediately noticed the spot, and recommended he visit her practice for a biopsy right away. The biopsy confirmed a melanoma in situ and Dr. Yoo performed excisional surgery to successfully remove the cancer.
In 2022, we were on the road for five months, screening 1,414 people and covering a whopping 12,000 miles in our RV! We hosted screening events in 24 cities and our dermatologists detected 513 potential skin cancers, of which 33 were suspected melanomas.
Sponsorship support from CVS Pharmacy; EltaMD; DSM; Coolibar; EMD Serono and Pfizer; Genentech, a member of the Roche Group; an independent grant from Merck & Co., Inc.; and The Lynne Waxman Foundation made our 2022 journey possible. Please consider supporting us in 2023.
Raising Crucial Funds at Our Annual Gala
We were thrilled to be back at The Plaza in New York City for our annual Champions for Change Gala, our first in person event since 2019! With the help of our Gala fundraising committee, our individual donors and our corporate partners we raised $625,000 in support of our educational campaigns, community programs and research initiatives.
Among those who attended were Skin Cancer Foundation donors, industry and physician allies, celebrity supporters and members of the media. New York comedian Wali Collins emceed the event and kept guests laughing as he introduced the night’s speakers and performers. The event recognized the generosity of our Destination Healthy Skin volunteer dermatologists, who collectively donated 1,000 hours of their time over four years and performed nearly 5,000 skin cancer screenings!
We thank our event sponsors DermTech, L’Oréal Dermatological Beauty, Regeneron and Sanofi.
Taking Part in the Cancer Moonshot Initiative
The goal of the White House Cancer Moonshot is to reduce the death rate from cancer by at least 50 percent over the next 25 years, and improve the experience of people and families living with and surviving cancer. A member of The Skin Cancer Foundation team joined other non-government leaders in a Cancer Moonshot panel discussion about supporting patients and cancer early detection to better outcomes. The program also recognized the Foundation’s screening efforts by adding us as a resource in their factsheet.
Translating Our Skin Cancer Information In 7 Languages
Skin cancer is the most common cancer in the world. That’s why our website content is now available in 7 languages (English, Chinese, French, German, Italian, Portuguese and Spanish). This accessibility enhancement enables more people to get the most accurate, medically reviewed skin cancer educational information available online, no matter where they are in the world. Since we added the translations, tens of thousands more people from outside the U.S. have been able to use our site to learn more about skin cancer and sun protection. That’s a big deal!
Publishing a New Skin Cancer Pictures Page
“What does skin cancer look like?” is the number one search term people use to get to our website, SkinCancer.org. In response to this clear need for skin cancer images, the Foundation created a gallery including dozens of photos and published them on a new Skin Cancer Pictures page. When the page was published in May 2022, it quickly attracted thousands of daily visitors and has become the most popular page on SkinCancer.org.
The Skin Cancer Pictures page is an important and sought-after resources, but it’s important to note that while photos can be helpful, getting your skin examined by a dermatologist remains the most vital step in identifying and treating skin cancer.
Airing Free Webinars to Educate People About Sun Protection Products
In the fall of 2022, the Foundation conducted a three-part educational sun protection webinar series. Each webinar featured a guest speaker from our Photobiology Committee who helped explain the importance of using sun protection products that have earned our Seal of Recommendation. Webinar topics included sunscreens, wearable sun protection and sun protection for home and garden.
The Seal can be found on product labels, packaging, clothing hang tags, online and in catalogs, advertising and in-store promotions.
Funding $125,000 Skin Cancer Research Grants
In 2022, the Foundation awarded $125,000 in research grants to three researchers. Our Research Grants program has helped early career doctors and investigators with funding for studies that have led to lifesaving breakthroughs related to the prevention, detection and treatment of skin cancer. The award recipients for 2022 are:
- Todd Nagel Memorial Research Grant Award ($50,000)– Brian C. Capell, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor of Dermatology and Genetics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
- Ashley Trenner Research Grant Award ($50,000) – Aditi Sahu, PhD, Senior Research Scientist, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York City
- Dr. Marcia Robbins-Wilf Research Grant Award ($25,000) – Bilal Fawaz, MD Assistant Professor of Dermatology, Boston University
Spreading Skin Cancer Awareness in the Media
When news breaks in the skin cancer space, the media looks to us for answers. Our physician members help us address news stories and make sure we communicate accurate information to our audience. Year-round, our Marketing Communications team coordinates interviews with newspapers, magazines, websites, blogs, podcasts, radio stations and TV shows, resulting in widespread coverage.
Media relations is an important part of our education programming, and it enables us to get facts out to millions of people. In 2022 our dermatologist spokespersons were featured in dozens of local and national media outlets including AARP.com, Better Homes and Gardens, Chicago Tribune, IHeartMedia, Forbes Health, New York Magazine The Cut, New York Post, Prevention, The New York Times, Time.com and US News & World Report.
Creating a Social Media Community for You
People follow us on social media because they want to connect with other skin cancer warriors, caregivers and healthy skin champions. On Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Linkedin and, new for 2022, TikTok – our followers from all over the world engage with one another, share their skin cancer experiences and participate in online conversations about every healthy skin topic under the sun.
In May 2022, our social media followers participated in the #SkinCheckChallenge campaign, checking their skin for anything new, changing or unusual and challenging friends to do the same. The campaign generated massive participation along with 1.2 million social media impressions during Skin Cancer Awareness Month. Our audience also shared skin cancer awareness-themed selfies using virtual photo booth, participated in the #SharetheFacts campaign using our social media toolkits!
We are confident that 2023 will be just as busy and productive as 2022, and we look forward to being there for you.
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