Conclusions

The costs and burdens of treating skin cancer and melanoma to the health care system are enormous. According to the Rand Corporation the cost of treating patients with early stage melanoma is approximately $2,500 as compared to the potentially million dollar cost of treatment to patients who are in stage three or metastatic at diagnosis. The cost of prevention and early detection are miniscule in comparison to the huge medical costs, lost productivity, human pain and suffering and non-medical costs related to the patient and/or primary caregiver.

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Yet we as a society have failed to institute coordinated programs of prevention and early detection. When compared with other industrialized nations such as New Zealand and Australia, the U.S. is making a marginal impact at best.

As both Brown University and The American Golf Foundation have both noted, it is the “passion, dedication and commitment” of this Foundation “to fight this disease and potentially save lives through education and early detection.”

In Charlie’s memory and in the memory of the countless thousands who were lost to  this disease that we dedicate this battle. We can do no less.