The curtains were closed around partitions that created two make-shift rooms. Conversations between the doctor and his patients could be heard by the men and women who waited their turn.
They were on hand for Dr. Michael Todd's afternoon of free skin-cancer screenings at Loudoun Healthcare. Todd said he plans to hold them annually on Melanoma Monday, the first Monday of May. He held the screenings in conjunction with the American Academy of Dermatology's Skin Cancer Awareness Month.
More than 1 million cases of skin cancer are diagnosed each year, making it the most common cancer in the nation, according to the academy.
A woman of fair skin and red hair said she faithfully applied a sunscreen of 45 SPF and wore a wide-brimmed hat. Another patient said she knew better than to "fry" in the sun. But she was worried about the effects of those baby oil and iodine days 30 years ago.
TODD, A DERMATOLOGIST specializing in skin cancer, has his Skin Cancer Center of Northern Virginia practice on Westlake Drive in Sterling. The event calls attention to the need to diagnose the disease early, he said. "It is highly curable, 95 percent to 100 percent."
If not caught early, the disease is "very deadly," he said. "It is one of the most aggressive cancers."
Dawn Gelormino of Ashburn said she decided to participate, because she spends a lot of time in the sun. She was concerned about two spots on her neck.
Deirdre Cahill of Leesburg said her family has a history of skin cancer, predominantly melanoma. "It's something I've always thought I should have done and never had had done," she said. "It's [skin] our biggest organ, and we should take care of it."
Patty Giese, a pharmacist at the hospital, said she had basal cell skin cancer on her back earlier, and she wanted to ask about a spot on her face.
"Skin cancer can be a lethal disease," she said. "I want to nip it in the bud."
Hugh Karangelen said he only showed up, because his wife asked him to come. With a grin, he said he was not worried. His wife, Terri, is a pharmacist.