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Corewell Health offering free skin cancer screenings

The free screenings are May 2, in Holland and Grand Rapids. No appointments are necessary.

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Corewell Health is offering free skin cancer screenings Tuesday, May 2, both in Grand Rapids and Holland. No appointments are necessary. Walk-ins are welcome between 5:30 p.m. and 7 p.m.

The screenings are located at the Spectrum Health Integrated Care Campus on Michigan Ave in Grand Rapids and the Spectrum Health Integrated Care Campus on Lakewood Blvd in Holland. 

Health professionals will look at an area of concern, not do a full body scan. 

"It's a really gratifying experience to be involved in," said Kimberly Texley-Quigg, a Corewell Health nurse practitioner, "Because we get people teamed up with a dermatologist, and that is the best way for to detect melanoma is to have experts in the field that are looking at your skin and assessing whether a mole or lesion looks concerning enough that it might need to be biopsied."

Texley-Quigg said to remember the ABCDE's of moles. Get a skin concern looked at by a professional if there are changes or abnormalities in: asymmetry, boarders, color, diameter or elevation. 

Early detection can lead to better results when it comes to skin cancer. 

"Unfortunately, the numbers are rising," said Texley-Quigg, "The amount that we're seeing over the last few years has increased dramatically. The American Cancer Society kind of predicts that we might be, nationwide, over almost 100,000 cases this year. But 8,000 of those individuals are going to die from their disease."

She said stage one and two cases of melanoma can often be treated with surgery. More advanced cases will need more extensive treatment. 

Heading into summer, keep some tips in mind to avoid getting skin cancer:

  • Try to avoid direct sun between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.
  • Wear protective clothing.
  • Wear a sunscreen with SPF of at least 30. 
  • Reapply sunscreen every 2 hours, especially if out in water or sweating. 

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