Dr. Travis Kidner and Rox Cancer Center Help Raise Melanoma Awareness On A Sunny California Day

LOS ANGELES, May 7, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- On Saturday, May 4^th, 2013 Dr. Travis Kidner and the Rox Cancer Center were proud to sponsor the second annual Melanoma 5K Run/Walk at the Universal Studios Hollywood in Los Angeles, CA.  The event is co-organized by the Melanoma Research Foundation and Pale Girl SPEAKS, a social networking movement dedicated to raising awareness and preventing melanoma. The 5K course took participants through several of the iconic motion picture scenes at the Universal Studios back lot, including Amityville Island from Jaws, Spartacus Square, the War of the Worlds plane crash and the village of Whoville. At the Rox Cancer Center booth located at the finish line, participants of the event were educated through an interactive game on the warning signs of melanoma, the importance of limiting your exposure to UV radiation, and – on a very sunny day even for Southern California standards - provided complimentary sunscreen. In addition, the staff of the center was on hand to answer any questions from the participants of the 5K.

Melanoma is the fastest growing cancer in the United States and can strike men and women of all ages, all races, and skin types. The lifetime risk of developing melanoma is one in fifty, with nearly 77,000 Americans being diagnosed with the disease this year alone; sadly, it accounts for the majority of deaths from all forms of skin cancer.

"Melanoma is the deadliest form of skin cancer and the number of cases is increasing every year. Once rare among young people, it is now the second most common kind of cancer for people under 30," stated Dr. Travis Kidner, a Surgical Oncologist at the Rox Cancer Center. "In addition to helping fund Melanoma research, our goal for sponsoring the event was to spread the word about the early signs of melanoma. When detected in the early stages, melanoma is a highly treatable disease, however survival decreases dramatically once the cancer spreads to other organs of the body. At the Rox Cancer Center we are dedicated to providing a personalized approach to cancer screenings and surgical care," added Dr. Kidner.

Overall the day was a complete success with both the Rox Cancer Center team and the overall event exceeding their fundraising goals – and even the Rox Cancer Center's patient care coordinator, Jenny Gittler, winning first place in the 5K in her category. All proceeds raised went to the Melanoma Reasearch Foundation to support medical research in finding effective treatments and eventually a cure for melanoma. In addition the Rox Cancer Center has offered a complimentary complete skin examination to all the participants of the Melanoma 5K Run/Walk.

For further information, contact Jenny Gitler at 310.275.5074 or Dr. Travis Kidner at http://roxcancercenter.com or [email protected].

Contact:
Travis Kidner, MD
Rox Cancer Center
465 North Roxbury Drive
Suite 1001
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
310.275.5074
www.RoxCancerCenter.com
[email protected] 

SOURCE Rox Cancer Center