Inside Story

May is Skin Cancer Awareness Month, and The Skin Cancer Foundation is mobilizing to bring their lifesaving program to communities around the U.S. once more.

This Summer, the Destination Healthy Skin RV will travel approximately 10,000 miles over the next several months, making its way around the country before returning to its winter home in Illinois. The Foundation will host Destination Healthy Skin events in approximately 30 cities this year.

“After the successful conclusion of our Save Destination Healthy Skin fundraising campaign, we are thrilled to be able to get this program back on the road in 2025,” says Deborah S. Sarnoff, MD, president of The Skin Cancer Foundation. “The Foundation’s efforts to educate the public about skin cancer and early detection are as vital as ever, and the Destination Healthy Skin program supports communities nationwide. We’re so grateful to all of our supporters who contributed to the campaign and helped us keep this program alive.”

Inside the Destination Healthy Skin RV, local volunteer dermatologists provide free full-body skin cancer screenings in private exam rooms. Participants receive information about skin cancer warning signs and proper sun protection as well as product samples. The new Destination Healthy Skin RV is equipped with a wheelchair lift for greater accessibility and bigger shade structures to protect people in line. It is also fuel-efficient and roomier than its predecessor, with more space for participants in the waiting room and for storing educational materials.

Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States, and incidence continues to rise. It’s estimated that the number of new melanoma cases diagnosed in 2025 will increase by 5.9 percent.  When skin cancers are found and removed early, though, they are treatable and often curable. The estimated five-year survival rate for patients whose melanoma is detected early is about 99 percent in the U.S. That is why The Skin Cancer Foundation recommends that everyone visit a dermatologist at least once a year for a professional skin exam, in addition to practicing monthly head-to-toe self-exams.

A full list of 2025 events is available at DestinationHealthySkin.org. Check back frequently for event updates.

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