Support
Save Your Skin Media
To view other Save Your Skin mentions in the media, please click here
Press Releases
SAVE YOUR SKIN FOUNDATION ANNOUNCES TWO HIGHLY ANTICIPATED EVENTS
The two events, planned to raise awareness of melanoma, come at a critical time as the incidence of the disease increases faster than any other cancer
VANCOUVER, April 5 /CNW/ - The Save Your Skin Foundation announced two highly anticipated events today. A prestigious fundraising breakfast, in early June, will help to raise much-needed funds in support of all skin cancers. A free ‘Patient Information Symposium’, later in the month, will provide critical information and resources, as well as the rare opportunity to speak with leading specialists.
Although the incidence of melanoma is rising faster than that of any other cancer, the average Canadian’s awareness of the disease remains insufficient for the increasing risk. The Save Your Skin Foundation aims to change this. These two events are a part of a larger campaign to ensure greater support, funds, and awareness of melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancers throughout Canada.
“Our skin is the largest organ of our body and its health is the easiest to monitor,” explains Kathy Barnard, Save Your Skin’s Founder. “We tend to be more familiar with our skin than any other organ and yet, because of our familiarity, we tend to take our skin for granted. When it is under duress, we do not get particularly concerned.” This tendency works against the fact that early detection of melanoma is crucial to the chances of long-term survival.
The Save Your Skin Foundation will host the fundraising breakfast on June 7th and the Patient Information Symposium on June 25th. These events are made possible through the financial support of our proud sponsors.
KNOW THE SKIN YOU’RE IN™: A breakfast to save your skin, to save your life.
Date: Tuesday, June 7th, 2011
Venue: Fairmont Pacific Rim, Vancouver
Registration and Silent Auction from 7:00am – 7:30am
Breakfast and Guest Speakers from 7:30am – 9:00am
Final Silent Auction Bidding from 9:00am – 9:30am
Tickets: $125 per Individual or $1,250 for a Table
SAVE YOUR SKIN™ PATIENT INFORMATION SYMPOSIUM
Date: Saturday, June 25th, 2011
Venue: Vancouver Art Gallery
Time: 10:00am – 2:00pm
Details: Free patient information symposium offering critical information and resources, plus the rare opportunity to speak with leading specialists. For tickets and information call 604-734-4223 or email mperole@karranfinlaymarketing.com.
About Melanoma in Canada
Every year, thousands of Canadians are diagnosed with Melanoma, with the incidence of the disease increasing faster than that of any other cancer. One in 74 men and 1 in 90 women are expected to develop melanoma during their lifetime; 1 in 284 men and 1 in 486 women will die of it. It is the most dangerous type of skin cancer, causing 75% of deaths associated with skin cancer. Currently in Canada, there is no treatment proven to extend the lives of people diagnosed with metastatic (advanced) melanoma, despite the rising incidence of the disease.
About the Save Your Skin Foundation
The Save Your Skin Foundation was created by family, friends, and colleagues of Founder Kathy Barnard, who is currently battling melanoma. Save Your Skin is a Canadian based 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 skin cancer, and on supporting the ongoing research and treatment of skin cancer.
Funds raised go towards providing critical and timely treatments, as well as ongoing education, research, and awareness initiatives.
For additional information please visit www.saveyourskin.ca or contact Marion Pérole at 604-734-4223.
SAVE YOUR SKIN FOUNDATION HOPES FOR CANADIAN APPROVAL OF MELANOMA TREATMENT
U.S. approval of first new melanoma treatment in over a decade represents hope for Canadians
VANCOUVER, BC (March 25, 2011) – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced today it has approved Yervoy (ipilimumab) to treat metastatic (advanced) melanoma. It is the first new treatment for the disease in more than 10 years, and is the only medicine proven to significantly extend lives of patients living with the disease. Health Canada is reviewing Yervoy for use in Canada and the Save Your Skin Foundation hopes this approval will happen soon.
“The discovery of Yervoy represents a significant advance in the treatment of melanoma,” says Kathy Barnard, Founder of the Save Your Skin Foundation. “As there are no current patient options that extend life, we hope to soon celebrate its availability in Canada.”
This news hits a personal note for Barnard, who is currently fighting her own battle with melanoma. In 2003 Barnard was first diagnosed, and by 2005 stage IV malignant melanoma had spread. Tumors were found in her left lung, kidney, liver, and adrenal gland. With available treatments proving ineffective, Barnard researched other options and Yervoy (ipilimumab) was available in Canada through a clinical study.
“I feel extremely fortunate to have had access to this medication,” says Barnard. “Awareness and access to new treatments is critical. Without countless hours of research, my family wouldn’t have found clinical studies, and I wouldn’t be alive today”. One of the key objectives of Save Your Skin is to create national awareness of available treatment options, so other families don’t have to go through what Barnard’s family did.
In its late stages, the average life expectancy for melanoma is just six months, with a one-‐year survival rate of only 25%, making metastatic melanoma one of the most aggressive forms of cancer and one of the deadliest forms of skin cancer. It has also been largely unresponsive to treatment.
“Advanced melanoma is largely unresponsive to treatments we currently have available,” said Dr. Michael Smylie. “The responses we’ve seen with ipilimumab mark an important paradigm shift in the treatment of melanoma that gives us a chance to provide long-‐lasting responses for patients.”
Evidence published in The New England Journal of Medicine shows that overall survival was significantly improved for advanced melanoma patients treated with Yervoy. The one and two year estimated survival rates for patients treated with Yervoy were 46% and 24%, respectively, which is nearly double that of the control group.
If approved in Canada, Yervoy would provide advanced melanoma suffers with an important new treatment option, the first in over a decade.
About Melanoma in Canada
Every year, thousands of Canadians are diagnosed with Melanoma, with the incidence of the disease increasing faster than that of any other cancer. One in 74 men and 1 in 90 women are expected to develop melanoma during their lifetime; 1 in 284 men and 1 in 486 women will die of it. It is the most dangerous type of skin cancer, causing 75% of deaths associated with skin cancer. Currently in Canada, there is no treatment proven to extend the lives of people diagnosed with metastatic (advanced) melanoma, despite the rising incidence of the disease.
About the Save Your Skin Foundation
The Save Your Skin Foundation was created by family, friends, and colleagues of Founder Kathy Barnard, who is currently battling melanoma. Save Your Skin is a Canadian based 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 skin cancer, and on supporting the ongoing research and treatment of skin cancer. Donations go towards providing critical and timely treatments, as well as ongoing education, research, and awareness initiatives.