Free skin cancer screening at Mercy in N. Canton May 12

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CANTON - May is Melanoma/Skin Cancer Detection and Prevention Month, and the Mercy Cancer Center will offer free skin cancer screenings by appointment on Monday, May 12, at the Mercy Health Center of North Canton beginning at 6 p.m.

Shield M. Wikas, D.O., board-certified dermatologist, will perform brief screenings in a private setting at the health center. These screenings - intended for patients not currently under the care of a dermatologist - will not include a full-body exam. Dr. Wikas will check areas of concern, such as a mole or other raised area that has changed.

To make an appointment, call the Mercy Healthcare Connection at 330-489-1333 or 800-223-8662.

According to the National Cancer Institute, more than 50,000 individuals each year in the United States develop melanoma, the most serious type of skin cancer. The incidence of melanoma - which is on the rise, particularly in Western countries - has more than doubled over the past 30 years in the U.S.

Often the first sign of melanoma is a change in the size, shape, color or feel of a mole. The institute encourages individuals to remember their "ABCDs" when looking at a mole:

* Asymmetry (shape of one half does not match the other);

* Border (mole edges are ragged, blurred or irregular);

* Color (uneven and may include shades of black, brown and tan);

* Diameter (change in size, usually an increase).