Family Physicians

Promote Skin Cancer Prevention and Early Detection

Skin Cancer Prevention and Early Detection

A Role for Family Physicians

Each year over 4000 new cases of non-melanoma skin cancer and 300 cases of melanoma are diagnosed in Saskatchewan. Most skin cancers are caused by exposure to ultraviolet radiation (UVR) from the sun and from indoor tanning devices.

Family physicians can play an important role in the prevention and early detection of skin cancer by:

identifying their patients at higher risk of skin cancer
counselling their patients about the importance of sun protection for skin cancer prevention
counselling their patients about how to check their own skin
optimizing skin cancer diagnosis and management

Here to Help

Continuing Education for Physicians

One of Sun Smart Saskatchewan’s partners, Melanoma Canada, launched a Continuing Medical Education (CME) Certified course to support primary care physicians in triaging skin lesions more accurately and at an earlier stage. The program has been certified by the College of Family Physicians of Canada for up to 1 Mainpro+ Credit (Program ID#: 19381).

About Course

Information for Patients

Sun Smart Saskatchewan developed skin cancer print materials, including information sheets and a brochure, for family physicians to share with their patients.

These print materials provide locally relevant information about skin cancer in Saskatchewan, describe the risk factors, promote the ways prevent skin cancer and outline the steps to conduct a skin check.

Sun Smart Saskatchewan will provide these print materials free of charge to family medicine clinics in Saskatchewan by request.