Status of screening for skin cancer

Each May since 1984, the American Academy of Dermatology, using dermatologist members and American Cancer Society volunteers, has conducted a National Melanoma/Skin Cancer Prevention Program. Through free patient screenings at hospitals, community centers, and health fairs, more than 600,000 individuals have been reached. Through its educational and screening functions, this program has been considered "one of the finest examples of preventive medicine in the country" and as a model for other mass screening programs. This paper reviews some of the concepts that guide the Academy's screening program, some organizational aspects of the program, its accomplishments to date, and possible future directions.