Skin cancer awareness

TORONTO -- In a wellness day outreach effort aimed at tennis fans, Katz Group Canada revealed that dermatologists caught six suspected cases of skin cancer and 16 suspected cases of pre-cancers during a free, one-day screening event July 28.

A total of 101 tennis fans were screened at the company's Rexall Sun Awareness Station on the grounds of the new Rexall Centre." The Canadian Dermatology Association and the Canadian Cancer Society organized the health outreach effort, which Katz Group Canada hosted as part of its Rexall Wellness Day activities. Including the 16 suspected of having pre-cancers, a total of 22 people ,were referred for further assessment, an average of 1-in-5 of those screened, a Katz spokeswoman noted. Among those referred, dermatologists found one case of suspected melanoma, a potentially deadly form of the disease, and five cases of possible basal cell carcinoma.

Katz has repositioned its Rexall brand as its core brand identity across its more than 1,500 drug stores in Canada and is the lead corporate sponsor for the world-class tennis center. The screening effort took place as some of the world s top male tennis players competed in the Tennis Masters Canada tournament.

Katz has sponsored and organized health and wellness services during Tennis Canada tournaments for the past four years.

"The results from, the skin cancer screening service show how important it is to continue to educate our patients on preventive health care within our pharmacies and within the health care community," said Larry Latowsky, Katz Group Canada president.