The Mole Mobile, a mobile skin cancer screening unit on wheels will be in Owen Sound Friday.
It’s a skin cancer screening opportunity where all you need is a piece of Canadian ID and to line up at the mobile clinic.
CEO of Melanoma Canada Falyn Katz says, “Unfortunately, instance rates for melanoma are on the rise. Rates have tripled over the last 30 years,” and notes the majority of skin cancers are preventable because they’re caused by UV rays
Katz says the Mole Mobile visits areas that either don’t have dermatologists or have fewer dermatologists. “We realize the majority of derms are practicing in major city centres like the Greater Toronto Area leaving those that are more remote without access. In Canada we only have 800 dermatologists for a population of 40 million people, so many are without access,” says Katz.
She says they were in the area in 2023, noting “We did see a good number of patients come out who did in fact have a skin cancer or possible skin cancer so we anted to come back.”
They typically see between 100 and 150 people at these Mole Mobile stops. There is a tented waiting area, and if the wait is long, they can text you when to come back. She encourages you to arrive early to guarantee you’ll be seen.
Katz says it operates like a walk-in clinic so it’s first come, first served.
It will be in the parking lot of the Heritage Place Mall in Owen Sound on Friday July 4, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Collingwood on Saturday July 5, from 10:00am – 4:00pm at Blue Mountain – Parking Lot 4
Wasaga Beach on Sunday July 6, from 10:00am – 4:00pm at 311 Main St, (by the Boston Pizza).
“It’s for anybody who has a mole or a lesion that they are concerned about. So if you look at you body and if you’re at high risk
you would have a lot of moles or spots, more than 50 typically,” says Katz.
She notes, a good way to remember how to find potentially dangerous moles is to remember the ABCDE rule:
A – Asymmetry –
B – Border – a jagged, fuzzy, hazy, runny border
C – Colour – very dark, or has many colours, browns, blacks, blues and reds
D – Diameter – something larger than the size of a pencil eraser typically
E – Evolution – changes over time, crusts or bleeds
She says, “If there’s just something that’s bothering you because not all skin cancers follow that specific rule, please come out and see us.”
If the dermatologist finds something concerning, you’ll be either referred back to your family doctor who would issue a referral to a dermatologist for a biopsy, or the family physician might do one.
“In the event that they do not have a family physician, Melanoma Canada has a network of physicians who will issue a referral to a dermatologist to do the biopsy and confirm the diagnosis and help out with follow-up care,” says Katz.
The Mole Mobile, presented by Neutrogena®, a Kenvue brand visits Canadian cities with long wait times to see a dermatologist, underserved communities, rural and Indigenous regions to help speed up the time to diagnosis.
Melanoma Canada says, melanoma and skin cancer are one of the few cancers with incidence rates on the rise in Canada and worldwide. Incidence rates for new melanoma cases have been rising on average by 1.4% each year over the last ten years. (CDC Statistics, 2016)
1 in 3 cancers diagnosed is skin cancer. Skin cancers are the most common type of cancer diagnosed in men over 49 years of age and are among the most common cancers diagnosed in youth and young adults. If detected, early melanoma and skin cancers are largely treatable.
For more information and the Mole Mobile’s schedule, visit molemobile.ca.
