Save Your Skin Foundation, along with the support of MLA Jane Thornthwaite, welcomed MLAs from the BC Legislative Assembly to a reception and presentation on various new melanoma treatments that have become available in Canada and explained how they are changing the landscape for melanoma patients and increasing survivorship.

With the recent emergence of new treatments, there is now a real hope of survivorship for melanoma patients. Previously, many melanoma patients could only expect a survival rate of 10%. With a variety of new treatments released in recent years, these figures are improving drastically. There is real hope for survivorship.

Save Your Skin Team

Save Your Skin Founder Kathleen Barnard welcomed the MLAs and explained how a collaborative effort is needed to ensure that patients are receiving timely access to the best available care. With these new treatments, and the knowledge that more are coming soon, patients, doctors, pharmaceutical companies and government decision makers all have an important part to play.

Dr. Vanessa Bernstein, leading dermatologist with the BC Cancer Agency, explained the nitty gritty of these new treatments and how they will soon become the standard of care.

Melanoma survivor and friend of Save Your Skin, Nigel Deacon, closed the reception with an inspiring word. Nigel is a Victoria resident and was diagnosed with terminal ocular melanoma, but thanks to a trial treatment of a new drug, he has been stable for more than two years. This new treatment is the same drug that saved the life of Save Your Skin Founder Kathleen Barnard.

Thanks to Supporters

Coming straight from the World Cancer Congress in Vienna, the Save Your Skin team received a helping hand from sponsor Harbour Air who flew us directly from downtown Vancouver to downtown Victoria in order to be on site, on time.

The Save Your Skin team was warmly greeted in sunny Victoria by MLA Jane Thornthwaite and treated to a tour of the BC Legislature and a chance to attend the House Question Period.

Victoria Conference Centre was instrumental in putting together this important reception & presentation.

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