La Roche-Posay builds upon its commitment to reduce the instance of skin cancer in Canada by supporting advances in, and accessibility to, teledermatology
MONTREAL, May 12, 2016 /CNW/ - In honor of the Melanoma Awareness Month, La Roche-Posay today is holding its second annual Become a Skin Checker event, as part of its skin cancer awareness campaign, at Complexe Desjardins. Part of this year's event will be providing a solution to accelerate patient access to care and treatment for a suspicious mole or lesion by offering examinations via teledermatology, the latest technological innovation in the dermatology field and the future of skin cancer detection.
With the use of a medical device with a smart phone, teledermatology gives general practitioners the ability to quickly and effectively share high-resolution images with a dermatologist, regardless the distance of their practice, for evaluation via a secured platform. Having suspicious moles evaluated with teledermatology reduces the wait-time and increases accessibility so dermatologists can focus on critical cases and seeing the right patient, at the right time.
Today's event, hosted by La Roche-Posay in collaboration with the Centre Médical Urbain (CMU) and MetaOptima Technology Inc. are offering for participants to have a suspicious lesion examined via teledermatology. La Roche-Posay is also helping to educate Canadians about sun safety habits and learning the ABCDEs of detecting a suspicious mole or lesion. Each letter corresponds to an aspect of moles you should pay attention to, including: asymmetry, border, colour, diameter and evolution.
Building on the accessibility of examinations via teledermatology, beginning in June, skin cancer clinics in pharmacies will pop-up in key cities across the country to provide the same service using MetaOptima's MoleScope and DermEngine technologies. Starting May 15, Canadians who want to participate can sign up to reserve a spot by visiting: http://skinchecker.ca.
"Skin cancer prevention is at the heart of La Roche-Posay's DNA, and we are committed to supporting the dermatologist community and finding solutions for earlier skin cancer detection", said Josée Bordeleau, Medical Relations Manager, La Roche-Posay. "Teledermatology is the future for detecting and treating skin cancer early. We're proud to be part of this initiative and bringing the technology to the forefront of the conversation in how we can reduce skin cancer in Canada."
Melanoma is the third most common form of cancer in Canadian women between the ages of 15‐29 but according to the Canadian Dermatology Association (CDA), 90 per cent of skin cancer can be cured if detected early.1 An estimated 6,800 Canadians were diagnosed with melanoma in 2015.
As part of the effort to bring teledermatology to the forefront of the conversation on skin cancer, La Roche-Posay, under the guidance of renowned Canadian dermatologist Dr. Joël Claveau, is sponsoring an impact study on teledermatology and the future of early skin cancer detection. The study, which began at the end of 2015 entitled "The impact of e-Triage of skin cancer patients in primary care clinic using mobile teledermoscopy", has involved more than 480 patients from Quebec to-date and required months of preparation.
Preliminary results prove the effectiveness of teledermatology to help e-triage patients. For instance, of the patients evaluated, approximately four per cent were diagnosed with melanoma. All patients with suspicious lesions were given access to a dermatologist and those diagnosed with melanoma underwent surgery within less than a month. In comparison, patients without teledermatology could wait anywhere from three months to two years to see a dermatologist2, with an estimated additional month wait-time required to undergo surgery.
"Despite the warnings to consumers to protect skin against sun damage and cancer, melanoma diagnoses are on the rise," said Dr. Joël Claveau, Canadian dermatologist specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of melanoma. "When there is a concern about a suspicious mole or beauty mark, the wait time between visiting a clinic to seeing a dermatologist can be lengthy. Our study is intended to show that by using teledermatology to evaluate and identify critical cases quickly, we can accelerate patient access to specialists."
The study is led by Dr. Claveau, with support from partners in public health care who have provided their expertise on improving the patient care ecosystem. Partners included in the study are: the Centre Médical Urbain and its « CforCare Living LAB » collaborative project, MetaOptima, developer of the DermEngine platform and the MoleScope medical device, as well as a group of general practitioners.
Leo Pharma has supported the initiative with their day-to-day help with guidance for general practitioners, as well as the Save Your Skin Foundation who has supported the Become a Skin Checker campaign year after year.
About La Roche-Posay
La Roche-Posay is a division of L'Oréal Canada, a wholly-owned subsidiary of L'Oréal Group, the largest cosmetics company in the world. Headquartered in Montreal, L'Oréal Canada had sales of $1.054 billion in 2015 and employs more than 1,300 people. The company's prestigious portfolio of 35 brands encompasses all aspects of beauty.
Through the La Roche-Posay Foundation, under the aegis of the Fondation de France, the brand has been actively supporting research in the clinical, biological and pharmacological fields of dermatology as well as supporting and encouraging generous initiatives from dermatologists.
About the Canadian Dermatology Association
The Canadian Dermatology Association, founded in 1925, represents Canadian dermatologists. The association provides easy access to the largest, most reliable source of medical knowledge on dermatology. CDA exists to advance the science and art of medicine and surgery related to the care of the skin, hair and nails; provide continuing professional development for its members; support and advance patient care; provide public education on sun protection and other aspects of skin health; and promote a lifetime of healthier skin, hair and nails. By doing so, CDA informs and empowers both medical professionals and the Canadian public.
About Centre Médical Urbain of Complexe Desjardins and CForCare Living LAB
The Centre Médical Urbain (CMU) of Complexe Desjardins in Montréal aims at improving the population's health and wellbeing by supporting global patient care through high technologies and optimal collaborative approach between practitioners. It brings forward the integration and synergy of all cares and services a patient can find in a first-line medical clinic.
CforCare Living LAB
The « CforCare Living LAB» project of Centre Médical Urbain is a collaborative initiative in e-health centered on the patient, which places skin cancer prevention, detection, patient care and medical follow-up at the heart of its mission.
About MetaOptima Technology Inc.
MetaOptima's vision is to bring digital healthcare and mobile technologies together, providing patients with easier access to medical information, more control over their health needs, and most importantly, peace of mind. We are focused on empowering high-risk patients with mobile health technologies, and providing tools for regular skin screening and the early detection of skin cancer.
About the Save Your Skin Foundation
The Save Your Skin Foundation was founded in 2006 and is a national not-for profit organization dedicated to the areas of skin cancer and skin disease with a focus on education and awareness, supporting research and ensuring equal and timely access to treatment for all Canadians.
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1 http://www.dermatology.ca/skin-hair-nails/skin/skin-cancer/malignant-melanoma/
2 Report entitled La peau en profondeur: carte d'évaluation sur l'accès aux soins et aux traitements dermatologiques au canada – 2012. http://www.canadianskin.ca/en/docman/report-card/francais/provincial-1/26-quebec-1/file
SOURCE La Roche-Posay
Image with caption: "La Roche-Posay (CNW Group/La Roche-Posay)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20160512_C4755_PHOTO_EN_688665.jpg
Michèle Fortier, La Force du Collectif, on behalf of La Roche-Posay, T : (514) 282-4637, E : [email protected]
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