Enhancing Skin Cancer Prevention and Awareness in the Italian Population: Insights from the “Save Your Skin” Screening Campaign

Paola Savoia; Laura Cristina Gironi; Chiara Airoldi; Francesca Zottarelli; Mauro Alaibac; Marco Ardigò; Giuseppe Argenziano; Stefano Astorino; Francesco Bellinato; Luca Bianchi; Maurizio Congedo; Claudia Costa; Alessandro Di Stefani; Maria Concetta Fargnoli; Caterina Foti; Pasquale Frascione; Giampiero Girolomoni; Vieri Grandi; Fabrizio Guarneri; Katharina Hansel; Francesco Lacarruba; Serena Lembo; Angelo Valerio Marzano; Giuseppe Micali; Steven Paul Nisticò; Annamaria Offidani; Ketty Peris; Bianca Maria Piraccini; Pietro Quaglino; Marco Romanelli; Franco Rongioletti; Pietro Rubegni; Camilla Salvini; Massimiliano Scalvenzi; Paolo Sena; Marco Spadafora; Carlo Francesco Tomasini; Marina Venturini; Elisa Zavattaro

doi:10.5826/dpc.152a5350

Authors

Paola Savoia Department of Health Sciences, University of Eastern Piedmont, Novara, Italy
Laura Cristina Gironi SCDU Dermatologia, AOU Maggiore della Carità, Novara, Italy
Chiara Airoldi Department of Translational Medicine, University of Eastern Piedmont, Novara, Italy
Francesca Zottarelli SCDU Dermatologia, AOU Maggiore della Carità, Novara, Italy
Mauro Alaibac University of Padova, Padova, Italy
Marco Ardigò San Gallicano Dermatological Institute IRCCS, Rome, Italy
Giuseppe Argenziano University L. Vanvitelli, Naples, Italy
Stefano Astorino Studio Medico Piazza Bologna, Rome, Italy
Francesco Bellinato AOUI Ospedale Borgo Trento, Verona, Italy
Luca Bianchi Policlinico Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
Maurizio Congedo Ospedale Vito Fazzi, Lecce, Italy
Claudia Costa AOU Federico II, Naples, Italy
Alessandro Di Stefani Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
Maria Concetta Fargnoli Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy
Caterina Foti AOU Consorziale Policlinico, Bari, Italy
Pasquale Frascione IRCCS IFO Istituti Fisioterapici Ospedalieri, Rome, Italy
Giampiero Girolomoni AOUI Ospedale Borgo Trento, Verona, Italy
Vieri Grandi SC Dermatologia, Dip. Scienze della Salute Università degli Studi di Firenze & Azienda USL Toscana Centro, Florence, Italy
Fabrizio Guarneri AOU Policlinico G. Martino, Messina, Italy
Katharina Hansel Dermatology Section, Department of Medicine and Surgery - University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy
Francesco Lacarruba AOU Policlinico Vittorio Emanuele – PO G. Rodolico, Catania, Italy
Serena Lembo AOU San Giovanni di Dio e Ruggi D'Aragona dell'Università di Salerno, Salerno, Italy
Angelo Valerio Marzano Dermatology Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Cà Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy, & Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
Giuseppe Micali AOU Policlinico Vittorio Emanuele – PO G. Rodolico, Catania, Italy
Steven Paul Nisticò AOU Mater Domini, Catanzaro, Italy
Annamaria Offidani Ospedali Riuniti Torrette, Ancona, Italy
Ketty Peris Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
Bianca Maria Piraccini Policlinico S. Orsola, Bologna, Italy
Pietro Quaglino Ospedale Dermatologico San Lazzaro, Turin, Italy
Marco Romanelli AOU Ospedale Santa Chiara, Pisa, Italy
Franco Rongioletti IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele, Milan, Italy
Pietro Rubegni Ospedale Le Scotte, Siena, Italy
Camilla Salvini SC Dermatologia, Dip. Scienze della Salute Università degli Studi di Firenze & Azienda USL Toscana Centro, Florence, Italy
Massimiliano Scalvenzi AOU Federico II, Naples, Italy
Paolo Sena ASST Ospedale Papa Giovanni XXIII, Bergamo, Italy
Marco Spadafora Skin Cancer Center, Azienda USL-IRCCS di Reggio Emilia, Reggio Emilia, Italy
Carlo Francesco Tomasini Fondazione IRCCS San Matteo, Pavia
Marina Venturini ASST degli spedali Civili, Brescia, Italy
Elisa Zavattaro Department of Health Sciences, University of Eastern Piedmont, Novara

Keywords:

skin cancer prevention, awareness campaign, public health initiative, cancer screening, dermatological health

Abstract

Introduction: Skin cancer prevention campaigns aim to reduce modifiable risk factors, yet high-risk groups often maintain inadequate protection practices.

Objectives: This study analyzed data from Italy's 2023 "Save Your Skin" campaign, which provided free skin checks nationwide.

Methods: Data from 1,773 participants across 29 centers in 13 regions were collected to assess sun exposure, photoprotection habits, and skin cancer awareness, identifying gaps in prevention efforts.

Results: Most participants were female (70.16%) with a median age of 36, and 96.61% were born in Italy. While 71.24% joined for preventive reasons, others participated due to changes in a nevus (12.35%) or personal (2.31%) or family (7.33%) history of skin cancer. Self-assessments of nevi often did not align with dermatologists’ evaluations, but family and personal history reporting was more accurate. Participants showed confusion about nevi and melanoma: only 52.7% correctly identified nevi as benign, while 67.2% recognized melanoma as malignant. On average, participants answered 1.57 out of 3 knowledge questions correctly, with those having a family or personal history of skin cancer performing better. High-risk sun exposure behaviors were identified in 37.78% of participants. Older adults used sunscreen less frequently but relied more on hats and shade, while younger individuals reported less sun exposure at work. Notably, participants with actinic damage demonstrated lower awareness and provided fewer correct answers on photoprotection.

Conclusions: These findings underscore the need for targeted public health strategies to improve education on skin cancer prevention, particularly among high-risk and older populations.

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