May is Melanoma Month: Save Your Skin Foundation is Creating a Healthier and More Sun Safe Canada

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwired - April 28, 2016) - May is Melanoma Awareness Month and the Save Your Skin Foundation, a Canadian based not-for-profit, dedicates this month to increasing public awareness of skin cancer and highlighting the importance of prevention and early detection.

Skin cancer is a serious disease and is the most common type of cancer. It is also one of the most preventable. Over 80,000 cases of skin cancer are diagnosed in Canada each year, more than 5,000 of which are melanomas, the mostly deadly form of skin cancer.

Prevention plays an essential role. Skin cancer is caused by overexposure of the skin to UV radiation. The most common sources of UV radiation on the skin are the sun and artificial tanning beds. Though skin cancer is preventable and often treatable if caught early, it remains the most common form of cancer in Canada. Save Your Skin Foundation will be posting daily sun safety tips throughout the month on its social media pages.

Early detection increases survival. Moles, spots and certain growths on the skin are usually harmless, but not always. That is why it is important to examine the skin all over your body once a month, and have a physician check your skin once a year.

Look for the following "ABCDE" warning signs:

• Asymmetry: Do the two halves not match if you imagine drawing a line through the mole?
• Borders: Are the edges uneven, scalloped or notched?
• Colours: Is there a variety of shades (brown, red, white, blue or black)?
• Diameter greater than 6mm: Is the mole the size of a pencil eraser or larger?
• Evolution: Has there been a change in size, shape, color, or height? Has a new symptom developed (such as bleeding, itching or crusting)?

If you detect any of these warning signs, see a physician promptly. It is particularly important for you to select a physician who specializes in skin cancer and is trained to recognize a melanoma at its earliest stage.

Key Dates:

• The Month of May - May is Melanoma Awareness Month. Save Your Skin Foundation will post daily sun safety tips and will roll out an online awareness campaign
• May 1 - On Sunday May 1^st, Save Your Skin Foundation will be onsite at the BMO Vancouver Marathon keeping runners sun aware. The Foundation is one of the Marathon's official community charities.
• May 2 - Melanoma Monday. Melanoma Monday is observed on the first Monday in May and is internationally recognized as a day of skin cancer awareness.
• May 18 - Get ready to unBeach! Save Your Skin Foundation's unBeach Party will raise funds for skin disease and skin cancers on Wednesday, May 18th at the Vancouver Aquarium. The event will feature themed cocktails and canapés, an exclusive 'experience' silent auction, beach volleyball, entertainment and a surprise celebrity guest host - all to the beat of our unBeach playlist. Further details and tickets available here.

About Melanoma in Canada

In its late stages, the average life expectancy for melanoma is just six months, with a one-year survival rate of only 25 percent, making metastatic melanoma one of the most aggressive forms of cancer and one of the deadliest forms of skin cancer. An estimated 6,500 Canadians will be diagnosed with melanoma this year and 1,050 will die from it.

About the Save Your Skin Foundation

The Save Your Skin Foundation is a national not-for profit organization dedicated to the areas of skin cancer and skin disease with a focus on education and awareness, supporting research and ensuring equal and timely access to treatment for all Canadians. Please visit www.saveyourskin.ca for more information.