Skin cancer is the most common cancer worldwide, representing one third of all cancers diagnosed. The incidence of skin cancer in the coming years is projected to dramatically increase, due to the ageing population and, above all, to unavoidable environmental factors. Skin cancer has been directly correlated to ultraviolet radiation (UVR) exposure, which is a consequence of the depletion of the O-zone layer, a thin part of the earth’s atmosphere that absorbs all the harmful radiations from the sun. The O-zone layer is expected to deplete over the next 1-2 decade, strongly exposing the global population to harmful levels of UVR. If caught early, skin cancer is a curable disease; however, its aggressive nature can turn it into a life-threatening disease in just six weeks. Late diagnosis of skin cancer is currently causing an economic burden exceeding €2.8B in Europe. Nowadays it’s clear that primary prevention, such as attempts to educate the population about the link between UVR and skin cancer, is not the only instrument to reduce the burden of skin cancer. Enabling early detection of skin cancer is therefore becoming a priority. Although initiatives and campaigns to promote skin cancer prevention are continuously undertaken, participation levels are extremely low, also due to the poor availability of easy-to-approach screening services. In this landscape, ScreenCancers’ unique technology and distribution model through pharmacies has the potential to act as a key enabler of early diagnosis of skin cancer. As a fast and reliable service, easily accessible to all, SCMS will enable population-wide screening services for early detection of skin cancer, contributing to reduce the economic burden and save millions of lives.
