Women's Dermatologic Society Volunteers Break Eight-Year Skin Cancer Screening Record at the Sakura Matsuri Japanese Street Festival in Washington, DC

MT. ROYAL, N.J., April 24, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- During a bustling recent outreach at the Sakura Matsuri Japanese Street Festival, a team of Washington, DC-area volunteers representing the Women's Dermatologic Society (WDS) set a record performing the most free skin cancer screenings in a single-day event, along with the highest-ever percentage of referrals to dermatologists, since the organization's Play Safe in the Sun Campaign began in 2004. Under the leadership of DC-Metro dermatologists and event co-chairs Tina Alster, MD and Jennifer MacGregor, MD, huge crowds benefited from free skin cancer screenings, sun damage assessments, sun safety education and free sunscreen.

Play Safe in the Sun is an award-winning community service program supported by a generous three-year grant from La Roche-Posay and its public initiative, SOS—Save Our Skin.

WDS President Janet Hickman, MD (2012-2013) comments, "We are delighted to have reached such a diverse group of people representing all ages and skin types, and to see such positive responses to our message of sun safety and skin cancer prevention."

Yannick Raynaud, General Manager of La Roche-Posay adds, "We are very excited to be at the start of our second year sponsoring this important campaign in order to expand the reach of this very serious public safety message.  It is paramount to protect skin every day, regardless of the season: applying sunscreen on a daily basis and seeing a dermatologist for a yearly skin check are a good start!"

Local physicians provided 189 free skin cancer screenings to the public, referring a record-breaking 54% of the individuals screened to dermatologists for further diagnosis/biopsy of suspicious sites on the skin that were presumptively diagnosed as skin cancers or pre-cancers. In addition, volunteers offered sun safety education and distributed 10,000 samples of sunscreen to event participants.

Board-certified dermatologists who performed the free skin examinations included: Tina Alster, MD (co-chair); Christine DeWitt, MD; Ali Hendi, MD; Angela Lotsikas, MD; Jennifer MacGregor, MD (co-chair) and Oge Onwudiwe, MD. In addition, WDS President Janet Hickman, MD participated in the educational outreach. Volunteer support was provided by: staff members and friends of the Washington Institute of Dermatologic Laser Surgery, including: Ashley Demain, Le-Nhu Nyugen, Amber Rinaldi, and Andrea Rodgers, along with Jillian Fox and Anne-Sophie Guislain; La Roche-Posay representatives Amanda Heshler-Enie and Jodie Herbert, and Medicis representatives Randi Max, Derrick Rothchild and Courtney Rose. 

The Play Safe in the Sun Campaign is overseen by the WDS Service Committee, co-chaired by Mona Gohara, MD and Kavita Mariwalla, MD.  To view the Campaign's summer tour, visit: www.playsafeinthesun.org

ABOUT THE WDS

The Women's Dermatologic Society, founded in 1973, is dedicated to helping dermatologists fulfill their greatest potential and assisting them in making a contribution to the specialty and society. To achieve this goal, the Society relies on the active participation of its members, who represent a diverse cross-section of professional subspecialties. The mission of the Women's Dermatologic Society is to support dermatologists by striving to: promote leadership and the development of relationships through mentoring and networking; demonstrate a commitment to service through community outreach and volunteerism; provide a forum for communications and research relevant to women's and family issues; advocate excellence in patient care and education, and promote the highest ethical standards.

ABOUT LA ROCHE-POSAY

Recommended by more than 25,000 dermatologists worldwide, La Roche-Posay offers a unique range of daily skincare developed with dermatologists to meet their standards in efficacy, tolerance and elegant textures for increased compliance. The products, which are developed using a strict formulation charter, include a minimal number of ingredients to reduce side effects and reactivity and are formulated with active ingredients at optimal concentrations for increased efficacy. Additionally, every La Roche-Posay product undergoes stringent clinical testing to guarantee efficacy and safety, even on sensitive skin.

For additional information about La Roche-Posay, visit www.laroche-posay.us and "like" the La Roche-Posay Facebook page at www.facebook.com/LaRochePosayusa. Download the La Roche-Posay "My UV Check" iPhone application at http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/myuvcheck-us/id433207689?mt=8.

SOURCE Women's Dermatologic Society