The Mole Mobile will be on the mid-Island this week, offering free mole and lesion screenings to help combat the rising rates of skin cancer in B.C. (Mole Mobile on Facebook)

By Jordan Davidson

get checked

Mole Mobile rolls into the mid-Island for skin cancer screenings

Jul 28, 2025 | 5:50 PM

NANAIMO — As cases of skin cancer continue to increase in the province, a group of mobile dermatologists is inviting mid-Island residents to come and get their moles checked out.

The Mole Mobile will be on the mid-Island this week at select Save-on-Foods locations, including in Parksville, Nanaimo, and Duncan.

Put on by Melanoma Canada, CEO Falyn Katz said their Mole Mobile skin cancer screening units operate like a walk-in clinic, with patients only requiring proof of Canadian residency to get checked out, with no appointment required.

“If you got one or two spots that you’re concerned about that you would like the dermatologist to look at, they can look at those. Or if you want a full body screening, that’s where the dermatologist checks you over head to toe to look at all of your moles or lesions.”

Operating from 10:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. each day, the Mole Mobile will be at the Parksville Save-on-Foods at 818 Island Hwy. W on Tuesday, July 29, in Nanaimo the following day at the 3200 Island Hwy. N location, and in Duncan on Friday, Aug. 1, at 181 Trans-Canada Hwy.

drive by

Multiple people targeted in pair of random Airsoft pistol attacks in downtown Nanaimo

3h ago

drug toxicity

Nine deaths in Nanaimo due to unregulated street drugs in January

4h ago

Back to Basics

Clippers search for wins in playoff stretch drive

6h ago

Dermatologists on board will examine your spots, but won’t be able to make an official diagnosis without a biopsy, which is not done on-site.

Patients can take the information to their primary health care provider for further treatment, or work with the Mole Mobile on other options if they do not have a family doctor.

In partnership with the Canadian Dermatology Association, Katz said the program started two years ago in Ontario, where they found more than 700 suspicious lesions or skin cancers in 4,000 people examined.

She said they are happy to bring their mobile unit to B.C., where rates of skin cancer have steadily increased by 12.5 per cent over the last five years, an average of 4 per cent per year, with around 150 people dying each year due to skin cancer.

The highest rates are found in B.C., as well as Ontario and New Brunswick.

Katz said it’s important to monitor any moles or lesions on your skin for changes in size, colour, and feel, as they could be skin cancer. (Dreamstime)

“Skin cancers are one of the few that are preventable, and if detected early, can be more easily treated. But unfortunately, we’re still losing three to four people in Canada every single day, and these are deaths that can largely be prevented by practicing sun safety,” said Katz.

Avoiding outdoor activities during peak UV hours, covering up, and finding shade are ways to protect yourself, along with a daily helping of sunscreen.

It’s also important to apply sunscreen properly to maximize coverage, said Katz, such as applying at least 30 minutes before going outside to give the ingredients time to absorb into your skin.

“While 30 (SPF) does offer 97 per cent coverage, and everything above that is pretty negligible in terms of an increase. However, you do want to give yourself the most coverage you can. We encourage 50 or higher.”

An ounce of sunscreen, or the amount that fits into a shot glass, should be enough to cover your entire body, with re-application suggested every two hours, after swimming or if you’re sweating.

She said to look out for the ‘ABCDE’ for signs of melanoma when checking over the spots on your skin.

” ‘A’ is for asymmetry, so if your mole or legion is asymmetrical, not a perfect circle. ‘B’ is for border, so if it’s got a fuzzy, jagged, or hazy border. ‘C’ is for colour, so if it’s a very, very dark, or when you look at it you see multiple colours. ‘D’ is for diameter, so typically larger than the size of a pencil eraser, and ‘E’ is for evolution, so a mole that changes over time.”

While their Mole Mobile is not a permanent solution, they hope it helps shine a light on the lack of dermatologists working in the province, with only 95 registered to work in B.C.

“We also got a petition on board that people can sign, it’s on Change.org as well, as we try and petition the government with our partners the Canadian Dermatology Association, to recruit more dermatologists across the country.”

More information can be found here at molemobile.ca.

Subscribe to our daily news wrap. Local news delivered to your email inbox every evening. Stay up to date on everything Nanaimo and Oceanside.

info@nanaimonewsnow.com

Follow us on: Twitter (X) | Bluesky | Facebook