By Louis La Plante, WFIE NEWS14 - Evansville

Source: http://www.14wfie.com/Global/story.asp?S=7911133&nav=menu54_1_4

Between 1950 to 2001, the morality rate of melanoma-a skin cancer-increased 165 percent, and number of incidences of melanoma increased at 690 percent, according to the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD). Evansville native Robin Lawrence was diagnosed and treated for melanoma in 2002, and as a survivor, she has been dedicated to furthering skin cancer education, awareness, and detection.

Her passion has been awarded by the AAD for the past three years with the Gold Triangle Award, and this year, she was still taken aback by the honor, Lawrence told Business Watch. In 2007, when she was presented the award in San Diego, five others also were honored; she was the only non-physician to win the award. "That's when I realized what a big deal it was," she said.

In early February 2008, she traveled to San Antonio to accept the Gold Triangle Award, and this time, she was the only individual to win the award. Others awarded were organizations like Pennsylvania-based Cancer Crusaders Organization or the Phoenix-based SHADE Foundation of America.
As the director of marketing for the Evansville Cancer Center for the last five years, Lawrence has worked with numerous physicians who treat and care for a variety of cancer patients, but as a skin cancer survivor, Lawrence gives skin cancer lectures and oversees programs for the community.

This week, Lawrence spoke to students at the University of Southern Indiana and the University of Evansville, and on Sat., Feb. 23, she is scheduled to speak to fifth graders at a Girls in Bloom event at The Centre in Downtown Evansville at 9, 10, and 11 a.m. as well as 1:15 and 2:15 p.m. "These are the groups I really like to talk to, hoping I can reach them before they do the damage," Lawrence told Business Watch.

For the past five years, Lawrence and local physicians have hosted free, full-body screenings for skin cancer at the cancer center in May, National Skin Cancer Awareness Month. In 2007, 84 individual were screened, and physicians identified skin conditions for 35 individuals, including basal cell and squamous (forms of skin cancer that account for 1.5-2 million cases in the United States) and melanoma (75 percent of all skin cancer deaths are from melanoma).

On March 1, Lawrence will speak at Vanderburgh Medical Alliance's Doctors Day at the Evansville Museum of Arts, History and Science from 9 a.m. to noon with the theme, "Block the Sun, NOT the Fun!" She will present at the Ivy Tech Community College health fair on March 5, Whirlpool on March 12, Fifth Third Bank on April 29, Anchor Industries on April 16 and 30, and Vectren Corp. on May 22.

"So I do stay busy," Lawrence said in an understated fashion. "But, like I said, for me to have this knowledge and not share it ... well, I cannot do that."

Center Contact:

Robin Lawrence, Director of Marketing
Evansville Cancer Center/Vantage Oncology
Office: 812-474-6000