PARTNERS

 THE MELANOMA RESEARCH FOUNDATION

The Melanoma Research Foundation (MRF) is the largest independent organization devoted to melanoma. Committed to the support of medical research in finding effective treatments and eventually a cure for melanoma, the MRF also educates patients and physicians about prevention, diagnosis and the treatment of melanoma. The MRF is an active advocate for the melanoma community, helping to raise awareness of this disease and the need for a cure. The MRF’s website is the premier source for melanoma information seekers.

SKIN OF STEEL

Skin of Steel is a not-for-profit organization that strives to provoke revolutionary change in how people and institutions respond to melanoma. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention identify melanoma as the fastest-growing cancer in the world, costing the US $3.5 billion each year in lost productivity.

Since 2010, Skin of Steel has been advocating for the melanoma patient community. Our mission is to improve patient outcomes by establishing Chicago as a center of excellence for melanoma treatment and research. This mission evolved directly out of the experience of Susan Steel and many other melanoma patients who must travel far for cutting-edge treatments not available locally, in the hopes of staying one step ahead of this disease. Skin of Steel’s unique position, relative to other melanoma advocacy groups, is our focus on improving patient outcomes in the Midwest. This goal is based on the fact that survivability is directly proportional to proximity of care.

Better choices are really needed in Chicago to extend current patients’ lives. Those choices require Chicago to focus on research as well as awareness.