Cancer

Spectrum Health Offers Free Skin Cancer Screenings

Spectrum Health plans to hold skin cancer screenings free of charge at four locations throughout West Michigan in honor of Melanoma/Skin Cancer Detection and Prevention Month.

Medical professionals will perform skin cancer screenings at no charge on Tuesday, May 6, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the following locations:

No appointments are necessary; walk-ins are welcome at each site.

Skin cancer is the most common cancer in the world. There are three main types of skin cancer: basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma and melanoma. Melanoma is the most deadly form of skin cancer with more than 70,000 men and women newly diagnosed each year.

“We are very pleased to be able to offer these screenings because we know how much people appreciate them,” said Leon Oostendorp, MD, FACS, a surgeon and melanoma specialist with Spectrum Health Medical Group. “The best way to find skin cancer in its earliest and most treatable stage is by checking your skin regularly and having a dermatologist perform a focused skin cancer screening.”

Dr. Oostendorp explains that a skin cancer screening is a visual inspection of uncovered skin. No blood work is needed and, if a follow-up appointment is recommended, additional information about referrals will be provided to patients.

As the largest cancer care provider in the region, Spectrum Health cancer specialists deliver individualized care to each patient. They also work as part of multispecialty teams to not just address the physical aspects and treatment strategies, but the emotional well-being of patients and their families.

Spectrum Health is a not-for-profit health system, based in West Michigan, offering a full continuum of care through the Spectrum Health Hospital Group, which is comprised of 11 hospitals including Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital; 170 ambulatory and service sites; 1,080 employed physicians and advanced practice providers including members of the Spectrum Health Medical Group; and Priority Health, a 575,000-member health plan. Spectrum Health is West Michigan’s largest employer with 21,300 employees. The organization provided $250 million in community benefit during its 2013 fiscal year.