Mole Mobile rolls into Calgary to provide free melanoma and skin-cancer screenings

The Mole Mobile is rolling into Calgary to conduct free skin cancer screenings for anyone on Sunday.

The initiative’s first stop in Calgary happened Saturday, but it continues Sunday at the Save-On-Foods on 225 Panatella Hill NW from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Melanoma Canada, in partnership with the Canadian Dermatology Association (CDA), says the Mole Mobile is visiting major Canadian cities with long wait times to see a dermatologist.

Along with major cities like Toronto and Calgary, the rolling screening clinic will also stop in remote areas, including Indigenous and underserved communities.

Melanoma and skin cancer are on the rise in Canada and across the world, with an average incidence rate increase of 2 per cent per year since 1984, according to 2023 data from Statistics Canada.

Men are also at greater risk, with a higher incidence rate of 2.3 per cent per year, and it is the most common cancer diagnosis after the age of 49. Women have an incidence rate of 2 per cent, the second-largest overall increase in incidence for females after liver cancer, according to the CDA.

Falyn Katz, CEO of Melanoma Canada, says a healthy tan is anything but, something she wishes more Canadians knew.

“Just a few sunburns and that could mean the difference between melanoma and no melanoma,” she told 660 NewsRadio.

Katz says with the sun out, it makes sense people want to be outside during peak UV hours, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., but people should still be safe.

“I wish Canadians knew that a tan was not sexy and can be deadly,” she said.

“We think because summer is short, we take advantage, we spend a lot of time outside, often ignoring sun safety, so not wearing sunscreen, not wearing a hat and sunglasses, covering up.”

The CDA is bringing professional dermatologists to perform the screenings, who will conduct either a full-body screening or a skin examination via a visual spot check. Katz says they will also use a dermatoscope, a tool to see deep beneath the layers of your skin.

“From there, they give the patient a copy of their paperwork, which will tell them if they suspect a possible melanoma or a non-melanoma skin cancer. If that’s the case, otherwise it could be a clean bill of health,” she said.

Along with checking moles or skin lesions, patients will also be provided with education on how to conduct self-exams and what to look for to identify melanoma, basal cell carcinoma and cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma. They will also be given a skin health-care package and digital resources.

Melenoma Canada says that of 247 people screened in Edmonton, seven had potential melanomas, and 89 were suspected or possibly had two common types of skin cancer–57 with basal cell carcinomas and 32 with cutaneous squamous cell carcinomas.

According to 2022 research from McGill University, those living in southern and coastal areas are most at risk of being diagnosed with skin cancer and melanoma. Melanoma Canada says it’s largely treatable if detected early.

The Mole Mobile will be active from May through October in Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia and Quebec. Locations in Ontario and Alberta have been announced, and more tour stops will be announced two weeks in advance on its website.

With files from Dilshad Burman