Where to Get Free Skin Cancer Screening in New York – NBC New York

Summer may be over, but sun protection is important year-round. That’s why a nonprofit is offering free skin cancer screenings to New Yorkers next week.

Starting Thursday, September 26, New Yorkers with and without health insurance can get a full body exam from dermatologists who volunteer at the Skin Cancer Foundation. Local doctors will be on hand at Destination Healthy Skin campers in Manhattan and Brooklyn to answer questions, show you how to properly apply SPF products, and provide free sunscreen samples.

Early detection of skin cancer, the most common type of cancer in the U.S., is crucial to minimizing treatment and successful recovery, according to the nonprofit organization that has been raising awareness on the subject since 1979.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul echoed the message earlier this month when she announced she had been diagnosed with basal cell carcinoma of the nose during a routine checkup. Basal cell carcinoma is one of the most common types of skin cancer. It is highly curable, especially when caught early.

Hochul, 66, said she underwent a quick operation, which typically involves a shallow incision, to remove it. The governor is one of five people in America expected to develop skin cancer by age 70, according to the Skin Cancer Foundation.

What is skin cancer?

Cancer is simply cells in the body that grow out of control. Skin cancer first develops in the epidermis, the top layer of the body’s largest organ.

There are three types of cells in the skin: flat cells, basal cells, and melanocytes. Melanoma, the deadliest type of skin cancer, develops in the lower part of the epidermis, is more difficult to treat, and tends to spread.

What are the symptoms of skin cancer?

In most cases, as with Hochul disease, the first symptom is a skin lesion. However, not all skin cancers look the same, according to the National Cancer Institute.

Free skin cancer screening schedule:

New York, NY – Thursday, September 26
Screenings available from 8:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
300 Park Ave, New York NY

New York, NY – Saturday, September 28 and Sunday, September 29
Screenings available from 10:00 to 16:00
3199 Brighton 2nd St, Brooklyn, New York

New York, NY – Monday, September 30
Screenings available from 10:00 to 16:00
99 Park Ave, New York NY

New York, NY – Tuesday, October 1
Screenings available from 10:00 to 13:00
99 Park Ave, New York, NY