Skin cancer is highly curable if detected early, so remember to follow sun-safety guidelines. There are many options for light breathable sun-safe clothing, organic sunscreens, and natural vitamin D sources. It has never been easier to protect oneself from harmful UV rays.

What you can do to be ‘sun-safe’:

• Always have sunscreen with you so you can apply it whenever an unplanned outdoor activity arises
• Use sunscreen with a SPF of at least 30 whenever you are outdoors (even on grey days)
• Wear protective clothing with long sleeves and wear hats and sunglasses
• Check for changes in moles, new moles and see you doctor right away if you see anything suspicious
• Limit sun exposure between 10 am and 4 pm
• Do not use tanning beds, use sunless self-tanning products instead

Most skin cancers are caused by overexposure to UV radiation. Everyone, irrelevant of skin tone, can be at risk for skin cancer. To reduce the harmful effects of excessive and unprotected sun exposure, protection from UV radiation should be a life-long practice.

Early detection is crucial – The “ABCDE” system:

A is for Asymmetry, or irregularity of shape. Non-cancerous pigmented lesions usually are round and symmetrical, but early malignant melanomas are usually asymmetrical.

B is for irregular Border. Benign growths usually have regular margins.

C is for Colour. Cancerous growths tend to vary in shades – from tan to brown to black, sometimes mixed in with pink, red, or white.

D is for Diameter. If the growth measures more than 6 millimeters across (about ¼”), it is dangerous.

E is for Evolution. Has there been a change in size, shape, color, or height? Has a new symptom developed (such as bleeding, itching or crusting)?

Stay sun safe during Melanoma Awareness Month!

- Save Your Skin Foundation

The CSPA and the SYSF would like to gather information about living with and treating AK and / or non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC). This information will be used to provide the patient perspective to the CDR to assist them in making their recommendation. Patient perspectives will also be provided directly to provincial drug and health benefit programs, including the Ontario Drug Benefit Program and BC PharmaCare.

If you’d like to help, please take a moment to fill out this survey: surveymonkey/AK

Thank you!

This program enables members to gain access to, or remain on the medication and therapies as prescribed by your physician and dispensed by your pharmacist.  The innoviCares card covers the difference in the drug ingredient cost between many brand name medications and their generic alternatives, allowing members to choose brand like Avapro, Crestor, Concerta, Nexium, Plavix and many more.  The innoviCares card allows you to receive the brand name medication at the cost of the generic.  This saves you and your family money and allows for greater choice.

How it works

Save Your Skin members and their families can visit: innovicares.ca/sys to view a list of participating products and to register for your free drug reimbursement card. If you have a prescription to fill immediately, you can download and print off a temporary card that you can use at your pharmacy right away. Your welcome kit, including a personalized plastic innoviCares card, will follow in the mail within 2-3 weeks.

The innoviCares Program is fully funded by the participating pharmaceutical and device manufacturers and is offered at no cost to you. Please note there are some different medication coverage offerings may differ in each province and all information pertaining to the program benefits can be found on the innoviCares website.

 VANCOUVER, BC (April 30th, 2013) – The Save Your Skin Foundation, a Canadian based not-for-profit, reminds us of sun safety during Melanoma Awareness Month. Because the Save Your Skin Foundation promotes awareness of melanoma and non-melanoma related skin cancers throughout Canada, the foundation is a strong advocate for Melanoma Awareness Month and its global health initiatives.

Skin cancer is highly curable if detected early, so remember to follow sun-safety guidelines. There are many options for light breathable sun-safe clothing, organic sunscreens, and natural vitamin D sources. It has never been easier to protect oneself from harmful UV rays.

 What you can do to be ‘sun-safe’:

• Always have sunscreen with you so you can apply it whenever an unplanned outdoor activity arises
• Use sunscreen with a SPF of at least 30 whenever you are outdoors (even on grey days)
• Wear protective clothing with long sleeves and wear hats and sunglasses
• Check for changes in moles, new moles and see you doctor right away if you see anything suspicious
• Limit sun exposure between 10 am and 4 pm
• Do not use tanning beds, use sunless self-tanning products instead

 Most skin cancers are caused by overexposure to UV radiation. Everyone, irrelevant of skin tone, can be at risk for skin cancer. To reduce the harmful effects of excessive and unprotected sun exposure, protection from UV radiation should be a life-long practice.

Early detection is crucial – The “ABCDE” system:

A is for Asymmetry, or irregularity of shape. Non-cancerous pigmented lesions usually are round and symmetrical, but early malignant melanomas are usually asymmetrical.

B is for irregular Border. Benign growths usually have regular margins.

C is for Colour. Cancerous growths tend to vary in shades – from tan to brown to black, sometimes mixed in with pink, red, or white.

D is for Diameter. If the growth measures more than 6 millimeters across (about ¼”), it is dangerous.

E is for Evolution. Has there been a change in size, shape, color, or height? Has a new symptom developed (such as bleeding, itching or crusting)?

The Save Your Skin Foundation focuses on education and awareness, as well as providing emotional and financial support to those dealing with skin cancer. This May, the Foundation will be hosting the following awareness initiatives:

May 2^nd – Hot Lucy Benefit at the Vancouver FanClub

·       Tickets can be purchased on line here: http://saveyourskinbenefit-estw.eventbrite.com/#

·       Free UV bracelets will be handed out

·       Silent auction

·       Great music for a great cause!

Patient Information Symposiums

·       These will be taking place over the next few months. Stay tuned by following Save Your Skin’s facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/SaveYourSkinFoundation?ref=tn_tnmn

Also, Save Your Skin Foundation is partnering with STI Technologies Limited to launch a new program that will provide members with access to the InnoviCares Program that offers additional coverage for many brand name medications and healthcare products-at no added cost.

VANCOUVER, BC (April 11, 2013) – With spring in the air and summer just around the corner, many Vancouverites can hardly wait to take their beach towels and head to Spanish Banks or Kits Beach for a suntan. But what they do not know is that 1 in 7 Canadians will develop skin cancer in their lifetime and melanoma is the fastest growing cancer in Canada. And it is preventable.

Kathy Barnard, President and Founder of the Save Your Skin Foundation, and a stage 4 malignant melanoma survivor, wants to make skin cancer a hot topic of discussion this summer. “When I was first diagnosed with this disease, there was little information available to the public, and virtually no discussion around how one can prevent it. Knowledge is power and we want to empower the public to stay sun safe.”

To generate more awareness and funds to combat one of the fastest growing cancers, Save Your Skin has teamed up with the band Hot Lucy to organize a Blues Rock Night Fundraiser at the FanClub on Thursday, May 2, 2013. Hot Lucy is a high energy rock band with heavy soul and blues influences. Covering artists such as Black Keys, Rihanna and David Bowie, they bring their unique take on music with grit and style. Ranked as one of the top Vancouver rock bands by Reverbnation, they have been building loyal fans with every performance and are strong advocates for fighting against melanoma. “It’s about time that individuals unite to create more discussion about this topic so that we can generate momentum to create a movement to fight skin cancer together. Hot Lucy wants to be a part of this movement,” says Terry Fay, Drummer for Hot Lucy.

Tickets can be purchased online at http://saveyourskinbenefit.eventbrite.com or call 604-734-4223.

About the Save Your Skin Foundation

The Save Your Skin Foundation is a Canadian not-for-profit foundation. Through events and other initiatives, the Foundation focuses on: raising funds for education and awareness, providing emotional and financial support to those dealing with melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancers, and on supporting the ongoing research and treatment of skin cancer – especially melanoma. The Save Your Skin Foundation is a member of the Coalition Priorité Cancer au Québec.

For more information visit saveyourskin.ca

This past January she had a bone tumor in her tailbone that temporarily disabled her ability to walk, which had to be followed up with radiation. In February she had Melanoma removed from her bowel and just this past week Brandi had surgery on her brain to remove a tumor.

Brandi is very passionate about getting her message out to young adults about the dangers of tanning bed use. As we speak, Maine is in the process of passing a bill to ban the use of tanning beds for those under the age of 18. Brandi hopes her story will help encourage others to be sun safe. Melanoma is preventable. She is extremely brave to share her story. We are honoured to know Brandi and appreciate her sharing of pictures and details of her current battle with this disease.

For more information on the bill please visit: http://www.mainelegislature.org/LawMakerWeb/summary.asp?LD=272

Or http://bangordailynews.com/2013/04/03/politics/senate-replicates-house-votes-on-capital-gains-tax-cut-youth-tanning-ban/

Original Mole

Bowel Resection

Scar From Brain Surgery

Gamma Knife to Remove Another Melanoma Brain Tumor

]]> http://www.saveyourskin.ca/blog/brandi-dickey-shares-her-story-in-hopes-of-raising-awareness-of-the-dangers-of-tanning-beds/feed 0 http://www.saveyourskin.ca/news/hot-lucy-blues-rock-night-benefit-for-save-your-skin http://www.saveyourskin.ca/news/hot-lucy-blues-rock-night-benefit-for-save-your-skin#comments Fri, 29 Mar 2013 03:32:52 +0000 sysf_admin http://www.saveyourskin.ca/?p=1829

The Save Your Skin Foundation is thrilled to present Hot Lucy for a rockin’ blues night at the FanClub.

All ticket proceeds go towards the Save Your Skin Foundation, to support awareness and education of melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancers.

EVENT INFORMATION:

Venue: FanClub

Address: 1050 Granville St. Vancouver, BC

Time: 8pm – 12am

Date: Thursday, May 2, 2013

Tickets: saveyourskinbenefit/eventbrite

For further information or questions, please contact Amy at kfm@saveyourskin.ca or call 604-734-4223.

THE BAND – HOT LUCY

Hot Lucy is high energy rock with heavy soul and blues influences. The band covers current and classic rock such as the Black Keys, ZZ Top and David Bowie. They bring their unique take on the music with grit and style. The music mix is unlike any other local band. The root of the band name stems from BB King’s guitar Lucille. The band has performed at hundreds of shows and have been building loyal fans with every performance.
Proud supporters of Save Your Skin Foundation, fighting melanoma in B.C. and ALS Foundation of B.C.
Website www.hotlucy.ca

Band members include Gord Rutherford vocals guitar harp, Trevor Andre Bass and vocals, Terry Fay Drums, James Ennis, guitar and vocals

We have included the interview below (page 2). Should you wish to download the entire supplement, you can do so here: SupplementNationalPost SkinCancer

Keep sun safe. Save Your Skin!

1. Using a mirror in a well lit room, check the front of your body -face, neck, shoulders, arms, chest, abdomen, thighs and lower legs.

2. Turn sideways, raise your arms and look carefully at the right and left sides of your body, including the underarm area.

3. With a hand-held mirror, check your upper back, neck and scalp. Next, examine your lower back, buttocks, backs of thighs and calves.

4. Examine your forearms, palms, back of the hands, fingernails and in between each finger.

5. Finally, check your feet – the tops, soles, toenails, toes and spaces in between.

Source:Canadian Dermatology Association

Save Your Skin is conducting an online survey about sun safety amongst young sun lovers. Our goal is to gain a better understanding of sun safety behaviour and awareness from Canadians between the ages of 18-25. It only takes a few minutes to complete-take the survey online now at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/P7L373Y  Questions? Email info@saveyourskin.ca or visit saveyourskin.ca