Around 200 Nashvillians received free skin cancer screenings at Centennial Park today. A row of folding chairs served as the waiting room as locals waited to climb the steps of the Skin Cancer Foundation’s mobile diagnosis tour bus.
Nashville is the 10th stop on the 21-city tour. Tour Manager Kim DeJong says the most common form of cancer is more prevalent than most people realize.
“We’ve screen so far over 2,700 patients in 9 cities and 72 percent of those patients have been diagnosed with some sort of skin legion that needs to be diagnosed by a doctor.”
Green Hills Dermatologist Carla Retief volunteered at the tour this morning. She estimates that of the patients recommend to see their dermatologist, only 10 to 15 percent actually have skin cancer saying that most of the skin growths or abnormalities found are pre-cancerous and treatable.
Retief says since 90 percent of skin cancer is caused by the sun, avoiding midday rays as well as wearing sunscreen and protective clothing should be a priority.
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