Dermatologists will serve the population on Skin Cancer Day, this Saturday (7), in more than 100 stations across the country, from 9am to 3pm, and which will be attended by more than 2,000 volunteer dermatologists. 
The collective effort takes place free of charge and works exclusively with the aim of evaluating lesions suspected of skin cancer. Access and search for the nearest service point on the Brazilian Society of Dermatology (SBD) website.
Since the beginning of this action, in 1999, more than 600 thousand consultations have been carried out, with more than 75 thousand cases of skin cancer identified.
The Brazilian Society of Dermatology said it is committed to reducing the incidence of the disease and its mortality, as it believes that a country with fewer diagnoses of skin cancer is an achievable goal. Public awareness is one of the ways to reduce its incidence, argues SBD.
This year’s campaign asks the public to reflect on self-care. The motto is Protecting your skin is protecting your health.
The SBD reinforces that protection against skin cancer must be inclusive, accessible and adapted to individual needs. “Your skin is the page of an unforgettable future”, says the campaign, which invites every Brazilian to take care of themselves.
According to the Ministry of Health, skin cancer accounts for 33% of all diagnoses of the disease in Brazil. The 2023 Estimate of Cancer Incidence in Brazil, from the National Cancer Institute (Inca), reveals surprising numbers. Approximately 220.49 thousand new cases of skin cancer are expected per year in the 2023-2025 period.
This year, SBD seeks to expand the reach of its messages, using an educational and accessible approach to raise awareness among the population about the care needed to prevent skin cancer. The movement will address the importance of preventive habits, such as the use of sunscreen, and will encourage the population to undergo regular medical monitoring.
“Our objective with the December Orange 2024 campaign is to continue alerting the population about the dangers of skin cancer which, unfortunately, is still the most common in Brazil. Awareness about prevention and early detection is essential so that we can reduce the number of cases and, above all, avoid serious complications. We want everyone to understand that skin health is an integral part of body health, and protection must be a constant priority”, said Heitor de Sá Gonçalves, president of SBD.
The society recommends that paying attention to the time of exposure to the sun is important, in addition to the use of other accessories.
“One of the causes of skin cancer is the accumulation of sun that a person gets throughout their life. Therefore, it is necessary to start with photoprotection measures from childhood, which include not exposing oneself to the sun between 10 am and 4 pm, the most critical period for the incidence of ultraviolet rays (UV), reapplying sunscreen every 3 hours and using UV mesh. , bikinis, swimsuits and shirts”, warns the campaign coordinator, Regina Schechtman, who, in January, assumes the presidency of the Brazilian Society of Dermatology of Rio de Janeiro (SBDRJ).
