Melanoma and Skin Cancer Awareness Month

Melanoma is an aggressive form of skin cancer. In addition to the skin, melanoma may also occur in mucous membranes – thin, moist layers of tissue that cover surfaces such as the lips – or in the eye. It is more likely to invade nearby tissues and spread to other parts of the body than the more common forms of skin cancer. While melanoma represents just 5 percent of the skin cancer cases diagnosed in the United States each year, it results in the highest rate of deaths. 

Click below to learn how each of these nonprofits are helping people prevent, treat, and survive melanoma, and for ways you can support their work. 

One of the most cost-efficient ways you can help these nonprofits is to donate to them through your employer’s workplace giving program Don’t have a program? Click here to have your employer contact our team, and click here to learn more about what employee workplace giving is and how it works.

Melanoma Research Alliance: The Melanoma Research Alliance (MRA) is the largest non-profit funder of melanoma research. Since its founding in 2007, MRA has committed $101 million in funding to end suffering and death due to melanoma by collaborating with all stakeholders to accelerate powerful research, advance cures for all patients, and prevent more melanomas. Since MRA’s founding, an unprecedented 12 new therapies have been approved by the FDA to treat melanoma, bringing the total number to 14. Advances in melanoma research are having a ripple effect across the field of oncology. Melanoma has been called the case study for state-of-the-art cancer drug development, precision medicine, and immunotherapy. In fact, therapies that were pioneered in melanoma are now being tested in more than 30 different tumor types. MRA has directly funded 372 investigators at 126 different institutions in 15 countries. Click here to learn more.

Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center: Melanoma is among the most serious forms of skin cancer. If you or someone you care about has been diagnosed with this condition, you may be coping with a lot of difficult questions and concerns — plus the stress of the unknown. Where should you go for care? What are your treatment options? Reading this guide from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center is a good place to begin.