Melanoma Awareness Month

May is Melanoma and Skin Cancer Awareness Month

SKIN CANCER IS THE MOST COMMON OF ALL CANCERS.

There are more new cases of skin cancer each year than the number of breast, prostate, lung and colon cancers COMBINED^[1]

Save Your Skin Foundation is Creating a Healthier and More Sun Safe Canada During Melanoma Skin Cancer Awareness Month

As May marks both Melanoma Awareness Month and the beginning of summer weather, it is imperative that communities across Canada be reminded of the importance of sun safety at this time of year. Save Your Skin Foundation (SYSF) is pleased to announce several initiatives meant to bring greater awareness to the dangerous disease.

CLICK ON THE LINKS BELOW TO CHECK OUT OUR PLANS AND ACTIVITIES TO BRING MELANOMA AWARENESS IN MAY 2021:

PRESS RELEASE April 28, 2021: Save Your Skin Foundation Teams up with Vancouver Canucks’ JT Miller to Spread Message of Sun Safety Amid Rising Skin Cancer Rates

Proclamations: Our Canada-wide awareness initiative invites Canadian municipalities to take a stance against skin cancer and educate their communities on sun safety through mayoral proclamations.
This year, 50 Canadian municipalities to across 10 provinces answered our call to proclaim May 2021 ‘Melanoma and Skin Cancer Awareness Month’.
Look for your city on the full list HERE!

WEBINAR May 13, 2021 – Click here to watch the recording: Skin Cancer A-Z Educational Webinar with Dr. Salopek

Giving Hope Gala April 29, 2021: Click here to see how our our virtual event fund raiser went!

SYSF’s 15th Anniversary! Click here to view a collection of the Foundation’s highlights, activities, and events from 2006 to 2021

SYSF Public Service Announcements

Team SYSF Merchandise Store

DOWNLOAD THE IMAGE BELOW TO USE AS YOUR FACEBOOK AND TWITTER COVER PHOTO FOR THE MONTH OF MAY:

CLICK ON THE IMAGE BELOW TO SEE A LIST OF SUN SAFETY AWARENESS RESOURCES YOU CAN DOWNLOAD OR ORDER:

Metastatic Melanoma on Canadian Health & Family – with Dr. Marla Shapiro

Watch this video which aired May 10, 2021:

Melanomas on the skin usually start as areas of pigmentation that’s changed or irregular. If they are noticed and picked up early, they can often be removed. But in some cases it turns into something much greater.

In this segment, we will hear from Dr. Marcus Butler from Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Kathy Barnard from Save Your Skin, and Shannon, who has been living with metastatic melanoma since 2005. They will be telling their stories, and sharing support options for those seeking education on metastatic melanoma.

For more information please visit Health and Family Metastatic Melanoma – Health and Family

Huge Thanks to All Supporters of SYSF’s Giving Hope Gala 2021!

From all of us at Save Your Skin Foundation, heartfelt appreciation for all of the love we received in support of our 2021 Giving Hope Gala. Thank you to all who purchased tickets, made donations, joined us at the event, sponsored the Gala, donated gifts to the auction – everyone! Not only did we have a blast partying on the dance floor, but we raised over $20,000 for melanoma, non-melanoma skin cancer and ocular melanoma patients.

Thanks also to…

* The devoted and caring Oncologists, Dermatologists, Nurses, and Medical Teams who look after us and all of the Patients and Caregivers we support

* Our Sponsors and Funding Partners for supporting our work tonight and throughout the year

* JT and Natalie Miller for generously sharing their time and resources to help share our message at the Gala, in our press release, and beyond

* Everyone who helped put this event together – our amazing team – Marianne, SYSF Program and Event Coordinator, Amy, SYSF’s Marketing and Communications Director, Lise, our Quebec Consultant, Kathy and Rosemary, and our Board of Directors, family and friends who always pitch in

Last but not least we wish to thank:

The Patients, Survivors, and Caregivers who joined us at the Gala, or are behind the Foundation, from BC and all over Canada. They are the inspiration behind our devotion to their well-being, and we are honoured to work on their behalf every day.

Thanks to Everyone near and far for your Support!

SYSF Webinar: Skin Cancer A-Z

Webinar Recording Available: “Melanoma and Non-Melanoma Skin Cancers From A-Z” with Dermatologist Thomas G. Salopek, MD FRCPC, Professor, Department of Medicine, Division of Dermatology, University of Alberta.

This webinar helps educate the general public about the dangers of UV exposure, and it also addresses what options patients and their families have if they are diagnosed with any form of skin cancer. Learn about skin cancer statistics in Canada, sun protection and safety, and details on treatment for primary and metastatic basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, merkel cell carcinoma, and melanoma and melanoma sub-types. For more detailed information on immunotherapy and targeted therapy for each of these please view our webinars on each, at https://saveyourskin.ca/webinars-video-resources/

This webinar presentation is in collaboration with Save Your Skin Foundation, La Roche-Posay, the Quebec Cancer Foundation, and the Alberta Society of Melanoma.

To view the presentation recording, click here: https://youtu.be/Ae_QXVAk_lY

To view the French recording please click here: https://youtu.be/Yoh38INeDgo

To learn more about treatment options for melanoma, please click here to see another of our past webinars detailing immunotherapy and targeted therapy: https://youtu.be/nS9OAFgknwE

To learn all about the NCCN Patient Guidelines to which Dr. Salopek referred, please click here: https://saveyourskin.ca/nccn-guidelines-for-skin-cancers/

For questions or more information on anything presented here please email natalie@saveyourskin.ca or reach Kathy at 1-800-460-5832

Giving Hope Gala Special Guest!

Hey our biggest Gala event is coming up…”Covid style”!

Buy a ticket and come for some fun – $35 gets you in.

This gala is all done on a virtual platform…wait, what does that mean? Well when you click the link to enter, you “spawn” a comic character that becomes you and you land in the main area where you are greeted by others. Your “person” walks with the others to the tables as the event starts out. Yes there is skin cancer info there but also…dancing!! mingling! and chatting. Get your person to walk up to another and you can chat with anyone, using your computer camera and ear buds! So great, so inventive!! Its going to be fun!! And… you will get to see one of our star personalities, Professor Mark Zee Spot!!

Join us for a fun, virtual gala experience in a custom world created just for us! We’ll use a new online chat platform that allows us to connect virtually and easily move in and out of conversations like you would in person.

Tickets are just $35!
Charitable donation receipts will be provided

All you need is a computer with wifi and video, some headphones, and a comfortable place to visit virtually!

Be ready for our Giving Hope Gala with the Save Your Skin Foundation Signature Cocktail (or Mocktail):

Tequila Stay-Out-of-the-Sun(Rise) !

The Giving Hope Gala is going virtual this year, but that doesn’t mean it won’t be a night to remember. In fact, to help everyone get ready, we’ve secured a guest presentation by STAR PERSONALITY

World-Renowned Mixologist Professor Mark Zee Spot!

PLEASE CLICK HERE TO READ IMPORTANT INFORMATION BEFORE JOINING THE GALA

Giving Hope Gala 2021

In Celebration of our 15th Anniversary, SYSF Presents the 2021 Giving Hope Gala!

Join us for a fun, virtual gala experience in a custom world created just for us! We’ll use a new online chat platform that allows us to connect virtually in a more human way. You’ll easily be able to move in and out of conversations like you would in person with the platform’s spatial video, all while supporting an important cause.

Plus, we’ll have lots of fun on-site activities to keep you entertained!

Why Attend

In real-time audio and video, you’ll be able to connect with Kathy Barnard and the Save Your Skin team, patients and survivors from across Canada, and cancer care stakeholders, all while raising funds for a great cause.

All you need is a computer with wifi, headphones and a comfortable place to be while you attend virtually! This event will also provide the latest information on sun safety, skin cancer prevention, melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancer treatment in Canada, upcoming SYSF initiatives and events, plus fun and surprises, all from the comfort and safety of your home.

Celebrate with us!

Mark your calendars. The Gala will take place on
Thursday, April 29, 2021 from 5-8pm PT, 8-11pm ET

Dress Code

This is a business casual event. We encourage you to dress to look polished while still being comfortable. And don’t forget to bring out your nicest cocktail glasses!

How to join the gala

The official party link will be sent to all ticket holders on the week of the gala.

New Sun Safety T-shirts

During the month of May, SYSF ran a drawing contest titled “This is What Sun Safety Looks Like” in order to find a new design to adorn our sun safety t-shirts. The contest was aimed at youth under the age of 16. Once the contest submission period was over, we invited the general public to vote for their favourite drawing. The winning drawing, submitted to us by Miley from Scotchlake, NS, won by a landslide. Her drawing, depicting an umbrella, a tube of sunscreen and a water bottle on a road trip to Sun Safety Way in a vintage Volkswagon van, won us over with its fun interpretation of sun safety.

Our new t-shirts and other merchandise, which bear the awesome design, are now on sale in our brand new online merchandise store. We also have some awesome tote bags with the design!

All proceeds made from the sale of our merchandise goes directly to assisting patients meet their everyday needs during treatment in the form of transportation, accommodation, child care, lost wages and more.

Get your very own sun safety t-shirts and tote bags by visiting our brand new store!

National Cancer Survivors Day

June 7th, 2020 is National Cancer Survivors Day!

As Melanoma Awareness Month is so closely followed by National Cancer Survivors Day, which takes place on the first Sunday in June, the two occasions feel symbolically connected. May is a month wherein those who have been touched by melanoma, ocular melanoma, or non-melanoma skin cancer take the time to remind themselves and others of the importance of skin cancer prevention and detection, and emotional and financial support for patients. The conversations that we have throughout Melanoma Awareness Month traverse the most early days of diagnosis, through the creation of a healthcare plan, treatment, and survivorship. Therefore, National Cancer Survivors Day– which is June 7th this year– feels like an appropriate, and especially hopeful, way to conclude the journey that we trace throughout Melanoma Awareness Month, from diagnosis to survivorship. Therefore, we would like to bridge Melanoma Awareness Month and National Cancer Survivors Day reminding you to participate in this important occasion!

National Cancer Survivors Day is a not-for-profit organization that began in the United States, but is beginning to gain a global following. To help spread the word about National Cancer Survivors Day, they have a number of social media graphics that you can share, and many resources for organizing your own National Cancer Survivors Day event. There is also a great list of resources on their website of issues surrounding survivorship, other non-profits, statistics, and news for survivors.

Melanoma survivor and Save Your Skin Founder and President Kathy Barnard has previously written: “[when I was diagnosed] I realized how big my support network was. I had a lot of family, friends, colleagues and people in the community who were there for me. Together we stand strong. And today, I have new friends that I have created, new people I have tried to help. I want to continue building a community where people living with melanoma are not alone.” This desire to build community has always been at the core of Save Your Skin Foundation. We hope that you will finish off Melanoma Awareness Month by participating in National Cancer Survivors Day, in order to support and honour the cancer survivors in your life.

New Survey Results Show Gaps in Knowledge About Melanoma

WE NEED TO STEP UP OUR KNOWLEDGE ABOUT MELANOMA

A recent survey of adult Canadians, conducted by Leger in March 2020 in collaboration with Novartis Pharmaceuticals Canada Inc. and Save Your Skin Foundation, shows gaps in knowledge about the deadliest skin cancer, melanoma.

Here’s what the survey told us:

About one quarter of Canadians (26%) are not aware or don’t know that spending more time in the sun increases their risk of melanoma.

Only half of respondents (51%) say they are knowledgeable about melanoma.

Canadians who claim to be knowledgeable about melanoma are significantly more likely to believe that they are at risk of melanoma (48% vs. 24%) of those who say they are not knowledgeable.

More than half of Canadians (55%) either don’t know or incorrectly identified that small amounts of sun exposure without protection can lead to melanoma.

60% of Canadians have a misconception that melanoma mainly occurs in people with fair skin.

Only 39% correctly identified that melanoma can occur in all skin types.

A majority of Canadians (58%) have a misconception that treating melanoma is a simple procedure.

Two thirds of Canadians (66%) say they would want to know their mutation type if diagnosed with melanoma.

Only 15% strongly agree that knowing their mutation type could change the course of their melanoma treatment journey.

Only half of Canadians (48%) believe that melanoma is the most dangerous form of skin cancer. In the under 55 group, just over one third of the Canadians (37%) identify melanoma as the most dangerous form of skin cancer.

Knowledge is power. Help us get Canadians more informed about melanoma.

To download a PDF version of these findings, click here.

Melanoma Awareness Month: Patient Support Resources

Everyone has different support needs, especially in the context of a melanoma, ocular melanoma, or non-melanoma skin cancer diagnosis. Whether you are looking for community, information, or strategies for self-care, we have resources available for you. We encourage you to take a look through our website to find what works for you, but for now, here is an overview of what we have to offer. If you are particularly looking for information and support related to the COVID-19 pandemic, you should check out our COVID-19 information hub.

In our 2017 survey report, “The Affects of Melanoma on the Mental Wellness of Patients, and the Landscape of Mental Health Support in the Canadian Melanoma Community,” Save Your Skin found that the effects of a melanoma diagnosis on the mental wellness of a patient is a real and urgent concern. Survey participants reported needing support with fear, grief, end-of-life planning, their diagnosis, next steps, living with cancer, family support, survivorship, and hope. The most ideal forms of support for participants, according to the survey, are group therapy, one-on-one therapy, and family support. The majority of participants (66% in our English survey and 84.21% in our French survey) reported wanting mental wellness support after their cancer diagnosis. Therefore, if you are fighting cancer or know someone who is, it might be helpful to participate in or share the resources below!

Webinars

Save Your Skin has been running webinars on medical and patient support topics since 2015, the video and audio recordings of which are archived on our website. These webinars are not only an excellent educational resource, but are great for connecting with the oncology community and meeting other patients and survivors. In terms of mental health support and community, the “Mental Wellness & Support After a Cancer Diagnosis,” “Living Beyond Cancer,” and “Surviving Melanoma: A Discussion on Survivorship” might be especially interesting to you– however, it is definitely worth looking through the entire list!

Patient Support Group Chats

On the first Thursday of every month, we host our informal Patient Support Group Chats. These meetings are free, can be joined by phone or online, and are open to melanoma, ocular melanoma, and non-melanoma skin cancer patients and survivors. These group discussions include patients and survivors from across Canada, and members of the Save Your Skin team, including Founder Kathy Barnard.

In addition to our support group, you can find a list of other support group options on our Additional Resources & Support Groups page, which may include something that is more local for you.

Emotional and Mental Wellness Resources Page

Our Emotional and Mental Wellness Resources page features many resources related to mental wellness. These include guides for coping with overwhelm, catastrophic thinking, and grief, for improving your quality of life, and for maintaining support networks and hope. This page also includes a link to Psychology Today’s chronic illness therapist search engine, which will help you find options for therapy in your area. On this page, you can also view our guide to self care after a cancer diagnosis.

Community and Hope

If you are looking to make connections with people who have gone through a melanoma, ocular melanoma, or non-melanoma skin cancer diagnosis, or to read stories of hope, you might also be interested in our survivorship initiatives, such as Melanoma Through my Lens, which features the stories of six Canadian melanoma survivors, or I’m Living Proof, a global map that showcases the stories of many melanoma, ocular melanoma, and non-melanoma skin cancer survivors. If you are interested in speaking to someone you see on I’m Living Proof, you can request to connect with them to be put in touch.

We hope that Save Your Skin has something to support your mental wellness, wherever you are in your journey. This Melanoma Awareness Month, consider taking the time to investigate what resources may help you, or share the graphic below to your community, as you never know who might need help. Remember: hand in hand, we fight skin cancer together.

May is Melanoma and Skin Cancer Awareness Month

SKIN CANCER IS THE MOST COMMON OF ALL CANCERS.

CLICK ON THE LINKS BELOW TO CHECK OUT OUR PLANS AND ACTIVITIES TO BRING MELANOMA AWARENESS IN MAY 2021:

DOWNLOAD THE IMAGE BELOW TO USE AS YOUR FACEBOOK AND TWITTER COVER PHOTO FOR THE MONTH OF MAY:

CLICK ON THE IMAGE BELOW TO SEE A LIST OF SUN SAFETY AWARENESS RESOURCES YOU CAN DOWNLOAD OR ORDER:

Metastatic Melanoma on Canadian Health & Family – with Dr. Marla Shapiro

Huge Thanks to All Supporters of SYSF’s Giving Hope Gala 2021!

Thanks to Everyone near and far for your Support!

SYSF Webinar: Skin Cancer A-Z

Giving Hope Gala Special Guest!

Hey our biggest Gala event is coming up…”Covid style”!

Buy a ticket and come for some fun – $35 gets you in.

All you need is a computer with wifi and video, some headphones, and a comfortable place to visit virtually!

PLEASE CLICK HERE TO READ IMPORTANT INFORMATION BEFORE JOINING THE GALA