Dermatologists Aim for Guinness World Record

SCHAUMBURG, Illinois—On May 6, members of the American Academy of Dermatology (ADA) hope to set a Guinness World Record for the most people screened for skin cancer in a single day. The attempt kicks off National Melanoma/Skin Cancer Detection and Prevention Month and the Annual National Melanoma/Skin Cancer Screening Program. Through the screening program, ADA members have screened more than 1.6 million people since 1985 and have detected more than 162,300 suspicious lesions, including more than 19,000 suspected melanomas.

Academy members throughout the country will attempt to screen 5,606 people during the Guinness World Record attempt. The free screenings will take place at three main locations—the South Street Seaport in New York City; Union Station Mall in Washington DC; and the Navy Pier in Chicago—as well as in cities throughout the United States.

Through the world record attempt, Academy members hope to make the public more aware of the importance of skin cancer detection and prevention. More than 1 million new cases of skin cancer will be diagnosed in the United States this year, and nearly 11,000 people will die of skin cancer, more than 73% from melanoma.