Dermatologists Screen More Than 1,300 People for Skin Cancer at Kentucky ...( SCHAUMBURG Ill. Sept. 14 ...),Health

SCHAUMBURG, Ill., Sept. 14 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- More than 11,000 Americans die each year from skin cancer. Yet when detected early, skin cancer has a cure rate of 99 percent. That's why dermatologists from the American Academy of Dermatology's National Melanoma/Skin Cancer Screening Program conducted free skin cancer screenings at the Kentucky State Fair in Louisville, held Aug. 20-30, 2009.

"With its emphasis on agriculture, the fair provided a great opportunity to reach farmers who are at a high risk of skin cancer due to overexposure from the sun's ultraviolet (UV) rays," said dermatologist David M. Pariser, MD, FAAD, president of the American Academy of Dermatology. "Research shows farmers are among the least likely workers to receive a skin examination by a physician, which makes free screenings like this one extremely important."

Twenty-one dermatologists, led by Timothy S. Brown, MD, FAAD, of Louisville, volunteered 66 hours to screen 1,308 people for skin cancer at the booth located in the Health Horizons exhibit hall. Through the screening, dermatologists detected more than 315 suspicious lesions, including seven suspected melanomas. In addition, the following statistics were gathered:

• 50% had never had their skin checked for cancer by a dermatologist or other doctor in the past.
• 67% had never been to a skin cancer screening before.
• 54% would not have seen a doctor for their skin even without this screening.
• 77% do not have a regular d
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