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Skin Cancer Education & Research Foundation Launches New Website – A New Resource for the Fight Against Skin Cancer
News provided by the Skin Cancer Education & Research Foundation
March 31, 2020
SAN RAFAEL, CA. March 31, 2020. The Skin Cancer Education & Research Foundation (SCERF), in collaboration with Terranova Medica, LLC (Colorado Springs, Colorado), is pleased to announce the launch of its new website, skincancerinfo.org. This free website is dedicated to providing the general public and patients—as well as their families and caregivers—with knowledge, resources, and social support in the fight against nonmelanoma skin cancer. As a sister site to the AIM at Melanoma Foundation website (aimatmelanoma.org), the SCERF brings the unique offerings and expertise of the most successful melanoma advocacy organization to take aim at the epidemic of nonmelanoma skin cancer.
The website was developed to meet the need for a comprehensive website and an online community specifically focused on nonmelanoma skin cancer, including basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell skin cancer. Many patients concerned about these skin cancers used the AIM at Melanoma resources to connect with other patients with skin cancer and seek reliable information. Their questions and requests helped drive the features and content of the new SCERF site. According to Valerie Guild, MBA, MS, of the SCERF, “Patients with nonmelanoma skin cancer needed a place to go for reliable information specific to their needs and a social community to connect with. We are pleased by this opportunity to make a difference in nonmelanoma skin cancer, expanding our network and resources further to fight skin cancer more globally.”
The SCERF website features tips on prevention (including information on sun safety, early detection, and indoor tanning) as well as information on recognizing, staging, treating, and living with nonmelanoma skin cancer. It also offers specific navigational and support tools, including a physician finder for both early stage and advanced skin cancers, an Ask-the-Expert feature, and a clinical trial matching service through EmergingMed. According to the site’s clinical reviewer, Laura Ferris, MD, PhD, Associate Professor of Dermatology at University of Pittsburgh, “This a great resource for patients with nonmelanoma skin cancer to learn about their diagnosis and treatment options as well as ways to prevent future skin cancers.”
The vision is for the SCERF to grow to become a more comprehensive resource, much like AIM at Melanoma. Priorities are to develop a strong social media presence, materials to support healthcare providers, video resources, research initiatives, and legislative support. The recent emergence of systemic therapies to manage the more advanced cases of nonmelanoma skin cancer creates educational needs and opportunities. According to Ms. Guild, “Much as we saw for melanoma, the availability of nonchemotherapeutic systemic therapies for managing the more advanced cases of nonmelanoma skin cancer brought specific challenges for both HCPs and patients to support shared decision-making, adherence to regimens, and proactive side-effect management to help patients stay on therapy and achieve the best possible outcomes. We envision the site becoming a one-stop shop for both HCP and patient education on nonmelanoma skin cancer across the disease spectrum.”
The SCERF wishes to thank Regeneron Pharmaceuticals and Sanofi Genzyme as well as Genentech, a Member of the Roche Group, for support of the website. The SCERF also thanks Laura Ferris, MD, PhD, for clinical review of the site.
About Nonmelanoma Skin Cancer
More than 5.4 million cases of nonmelanoma skin cancer were treated in 2012 (the most recent year for which there are statistics). While the majority of nonmelanoma skin cancers can be cured if found and treated early, some patients have high-risk skin cancers that can be difficult to treat. In the United States, approximately 7,000 people die every year from squamous cell skin cancer, and others will suffer disfigurement from aggressive forms of this skin cancer. Although basal cell carcinoma is rarely fatal, it is the most common cancer diagnosed in the United States and can also be disfiguring when it takes on an aggressive form.
About the SCERF
The Skin Cancer Education & Research Foundation is a sister organization of the AIM at Melanoma Foundation. The SCERF was developed to raise awareness of the epidemic of nonmelanoma skin cancer, provide patients and their families and caregivers the tools they need to prevent skin cancer, and support patients with skin cancer during their journey. AIM at Melanoma is the largest international melanoma foundation globally engaged and locally invested in advancing the battle against melanoma through innovative research, legislative reform, education, and patient and caregiver support. In terms of innovation in melanoma research, AIM employs groundbreaking international research initiatives and unparalleled tools and resources in the battle for the cure. In terms of global engagement and advocacy, AIM makes a difference globally through education and advocacy efforts such as the International Melanoma Working Group (IMWG), an expert think tank involving a worldwide group of melanoma experts. Finally, in terms of education and support, AIM provides answers, information, and support for everyone touched by melanoma.
About Terranova Medica
Terranova Medica, LLC, is a medical education company whose mission is to deliver high-quality educational initiatives to meet the needs of the healthcare professional and patients, with a special emphasis on interactive e-learning in oncology, infectious diseases, and multiple sclerosis. With over 25 years of experience in skin cancer education, Terranova has partnered with the AIM at Melanoma Foundation for over 11 years. Terranova was instrumental in the development of a range of HCP and patient-directed oncology initiatives, including the Melanoma Nursing Initiative (https://themelanomanurse.org/), the IO Essentials Initiative (aimwithimmuntoehrapy.org), and the AIMatCancerCe.org (http://aimatcancerce.org/) sites.
Media Contacts:
For SCERF: Samantha Guild, Esq, 916-706-0599, sguild@AIMatMelanoma.org
For Terranova Medica: Tom Davis, 877-276-4523, tdavis@terranovamedica.com
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