BILLINGS — Students at Rocky Vista University’s Montana College of Osteopathic Medicine hosted a skin cancer screening clinic Saturday to help the community spot the disease early. More than 100 people signed up for the event.
Matthew Schmeiser, president of Rocky Vista University’s Dermatology Club, says skin cancer is the most common form of cancer. According to the American Cancer Society, about 5.4 million basal and squamous cell skin cancers are diagnosed each year.
Watch Matthew Schmeiser talk about the free clinic and skin cancer:
"It's our largest organ, so we've got lots of surface area for things to go wrong," Schmeiser said.
Schmeiser says access to dermatology is limited in rural states, which is why the students hope to bridge the gap with the clinic.
"We have 57 student volunteers from our school," Schmeiser said.
Sandra Hensen knows the importance of getting screened for skin cancer because it runs in her family. She follows medical advice to stay on top of her health.
"I have a brother that had a melanoma and I've had just a little precancerous thing over here," Hensen said. "I am past 70 now and they recommend that you have skin tests."
Hensen says her last screening was a couple of years ago.
"I had one a couple years ago and the doctor recommended to come back in three years. But this young man said to do it yearly," Hensen said.
Student volunteers began the preliminary skin screenings at the clinic. It serves as a learning opportunity for both patients and students.
"From there they report to our attending physicians that are supervising, report any findings that they may see, anything that's suspicious, anything that's benign, and then they will come back into the room with the physician. The physician will conduct a screening themselves," Schmeiser said. "The student will have the opportunity to kind of have their work checked to see if they were right, see if there was something they missed, kind of taken as a learning experience."
Schmeiser says the big thing to look for is abnormal moles.
"That's what people always think of when they think of skin screening, moles that might look a little bit different," Schmeiser said.
One note to remember is the ABCDEs of skin cancer. A is for asymmetry.
"Any abnormal looking mole," Schmeiser said.
B is for borders.
"Something that's not perfectly symmetrical," Schmeiser said.
C is for color.
"There's multiple colors going on in the mole," Schmeiser said.
D is for diameter.
"Anything over a certain size is concerning," Schmeiser said.
And E is for evolution.
"The history of the mole if it's changing on you," Schmeiser said.
Schmeiser reminds everyone the sun can do damage, making sunscreen key.
"The best sunscreen is the one that you'll actually wear," Schmeiser said.
