Bristol-Myers Squibb donated its Melanoma Exposed™ program to the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD). The donation, provided through a charitable grant, will be used to increase public awareness of skin cancer—including melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer—and expand the number of free skin cancer screenings across the country through the AAD's SPOT Skin Cancer™ initiative. Bristol-Myers Squibb's donation of Melanoma Exposed™ includes a five-year contribution to the AAD, totaling more than $4 million.

“We appreciate that Bristol-Myers Squibb chose the Academy for this donation and pledge to continue the growth of these important screenings to help save lives,” said board-certified dermatologist, Brett M. Coldiron, MD, FAAD, president of the AAD, in a press release. “Dermatologists are dedicated to educating the public about the importance of skin cancer detection and prevention, and this program will strengthen the Academy's current skin cancer screening efforts, which have detected more than 238,000 suspicious lesions and 26,618 potential melanomas since its inception in 1985.”

Melanoma Exposed™ was launched in 2012 by Bristol-Myers Squibb in partnership with the Melanoma International Foundation, Melanoma Research Alliance, Melanoma Research Foundation, and The Skin Cancer Foundation, as a campaign designed to raise awareness of melanoma and encourage the public to take a more active role in their skin health. The program included partnerships with a number of professional football teams as well as free skin cancer screenings with dermatologists at pre-season events and regular season football games across the country.

“Bristol-Myers Squibb has been invested in the long-term success of Melanoma Exposed, including identifying opportunities to increase the reach and impact of the campaign,” said Joseph Leveque, vice president, Oncology, US Medical, Bristol-Myer Squibb. “With these goals in mind, we felt it was in the best interest of the campaign and of the public to donate Melanoma Exposed to the Academy due to the organization's significant amount of experience with raising awareness of relevant public health issues and conducting skin cancer screenings. Melanoma remains an important focus for Bristol-Myers Squibb. By donating this program to the Academy, we hope that a greater number of people will become aware of melanoma and take action to protect themselves and their loved ones again this potentially deadly disease.”

The AAD will integrate the Melanoma Exposed™ program into its national skin cancer screenings and re-brand all screenings as SPOT ME, a part of the AAD's larger SPOT Skin Cancer™ initiative. 

SPOT Skin Cancer™ is the AAD's campaign to create a world without skin cancer through public awareness, community outreach programs and services, and advocacy that promote the prevention, detection and care of skin cancer. On the AAD's website – http://www.aad.org/spot-skin-cancer —patients can learn how to perform a skin self-exam, download a body mole map for tracking changes in their skin, and find free skin cancer screenings in their area. Individuals who have been affected by skin cancer can share their personal stories and provide support and inspiration for others fighting skin cancer, as well as communicate the importance of prevention and early detection.