Worried about that mole or sun damage? Here’s a walk-in clinic offering free skin cancer screening

Local car dealership holds cancer screening event Due to long wait times to see a dermatologist, a car dealership held free skin cancer screenings. Michelle Maluske reports.

Melanoma Canada’s Mole Mobile rolled into southwestern Ontario Friday with a pop-up clinic at Nissan of Windsor.

The dermatologist on staff will check all the spots or sun damage on your body for free. On Friday, Dr. Michael Connolly from Niagara region was on staff.

“Usually, [doctors] only do the area you're concerned about,” said Eva Hergott of Windsor. “He checked my back and everything and that’s great, [because] you can't see that on your own so it's nice to have somebody look at that.”

The mobile clinic is a free service provided by the charity Melanoma Canada, which operates without government funding, according to a staff member on site Friday.

Demand for the service was brisk in Windsor with some people signing up and returning after their wait was over. For some, the wait was around two hours but it was worth it for it for Luann and Hugh Hebert of Windsor.

“I have a mole on my face and I was just curious to have it checked,” said Luann. “I thought this was such a great thing. I don’t have to go to the dermatologist and wait forever to get in there and it’s simple.”

Dr. Connolly told CTV News he has 45 years of experience as a dermatologist and yet he offers his expertise for free as a volunteer. Melanoma Canada pays his travel expenses.

“I’m old and I don’t have a life,” Dr. Connolly quipped. “And all the young [doctors] are working every day.”

The Mole Mobile will be in Chatham on Saturday August 12, from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. at the Nissan dealership on Richmond Street.

Melanoma Canada’s website features advice and tips for tracking moles or sun damage to your skin. They say when detected early, melanoma has an 85 per cent cure rate.