Campaign highlights barriers to specialist care
As skin cancer rates climb across Canada, the Save Your Skin Foundation is launching a national awareness campaign this May, combining public health initiatives with a push for federal action on cancer care.
Skin cancer remains the most common cancer in Canada, with more than 80,000 new cases recorded annually, the foundation highlighted. The Canadian Cancer Society estimates that 10,800 Canadians will be diagnosed with melanoma this year alone, and 1,250 are expected to die from the disease. Up to 90% of skin cancers are linked to UV exposure.
The Save Your Skin Foundation (SYSF), a patient-led not-for-profit organisation, launched the campaign in recognition of Melanoma and Skin Cancer Awareness Month. The campaign aims to go beyond sun safety messaging, calling for co-ordinated federal action to strengthen health data systems, expand access to timely diagnosis, and improve participation in clinical trials.
Gaps in access to family doctors, dermatologists, and timely diagnostics have been identified as key barriers worsening patient outcomes.
“Skin cancer doesn’t just impact individuals. It affects families, communities, and the entire health-care system. Awareness is critical, but it’s no longer enough. Through this campaign, we’re amplifying patient voices and calling for meaningful change so that earlier detection and better care are not a matter of luck, but a standard for all people in Canada,” an SYSF spokesperson said.
Dr. Sandeep Sehdev, a medical oncologist at The Ottawa Hospital Cancer Centre, also weighed in on the state of melanoma care in the country.
“We are making important advances in melanoma treatment, but too many patients are still being diagnosed later than they should be,” Dr. Sehdev said. “Improving access to specialists and timely diagnosis, strengthening health data systems, and expanding clinical trial participation are essential if we want to translate innovation into better outcomes for patients across Canada.”
Among the campaign’s concrete initiatives is the deployment of 20 new free public sunscreen dispensers across the country, bringing the total to 100 units across eight provinces since the program began in 2022. Municipal and provincial proclamations recognizing May as Melanoma and Skin Cancer Awareness Month are also expected, following last year’s participation from 54 cities and eight provinces.
On May 4, SYSF will hold an Advocacy Day on Parliament Hill under the theme “Research is Care,” bringing together patients, clinicians, and policy leaders to push for improvements in federal cancer care infrastructure.
