New York, NY (October 19, 2009) – With the help of volunteer dermatologists from across the country, The Skin Cancer Foundation’s second annual Road to Healthy Skin Tour, presented by AVEENO^® and Rite Aid, found 77 suspected melanomas (the deadliest form of skin cancer) this past year. The Tour, which provides free full-body skin cancer screenings and the latest skin cancer information, made 83 stops this summer. A recent study published in the Archives of Dermatology showed that more than half of all melanomas are found through full-body skin examinations conducted by a dermatologist.

“We have always believed that high-risk patients should be screened once a year by a physician,” said Perry Robins, President, The Skin Cancer Foundation. “This new study and the suspected skin cancers we found on the tour reinforce what we’ve known all along.” In addition to the 77 suspected melanomas, more than 1,200 possible other skin cancers were detected, including 350 suspected basal cell carcinomas, 113 suspected squamous cell carcinomas, and 661 suspected actinic keratoses, or precancers. Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States. However, when detected early, it is almost always curable.

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