Melanoma Monday – May. 3, 2027

Expected Melanoma Monday Deals

Melanoma Monday focuses on crucial awareness and fundraising rather than commercial deals. Organizations like the American Academy of Dermatology and the Melanoma Research Alliance often partner with corporate sponsors for donation matching campaigns and educational initiatives. Look for sunscreen brands such as Neutrogena and EltaMD to offer educational content and potentially special bundles on sun protection products. Local dermatologists may host free skin cancer screenings, while retailers like Coolibar and UPF 50+ apparel brands might highlight their protective clothing lines. We will update this page with confirmed live events and awareness drives as May 4 approaches.

History of Melanoma Monday

Melanoma, the most serious type of skin cancer, didn’t make its way into recorded history until the 5th century B.C. Hippocrates, who first wrote about the disease, described it with the Greek terms ‘melas’ and ‘oma,’ meaning ‘dark’ and ‘tumor,’ respectively. There was little to no forms of treatment.

Very little additional understanding of melanoma was gained until the 18th century when the doctor John Hunter first removed a metastatic melanoma. While his procedure was successful, he really wasn’t sure exactly what he had done. He referred to the melanoma as a “cancerous fungous excrescence,” and it wasn’t until 1968 that the preserved tumor was identified as melanoma.

In the early 1800s, there were many advances in the medical understanding of melanoma. Dr. René Laennec was the first to distinguish melanoma, naming it ‘melanose’ in 1804. In 1826, Thomas Fawdington admitted that the medical profession was still very much in the dark about the causes of melanoma. Sir Robert Carswell later introduced the term ‘melanoma’ in 1838. 

In 1844, melanoma was still thought of as untreatable. Samuel Cooper famously said the only hope for those with melanoma was early removal. Still, there was experimentation. In 1892, Herbert Snow championed the treatment of removing not only the tumor but the surrounding gland as well. An important 1905 development in treatment by William Handley led doctors to remove all subcutaneous tissue and lymph nodes surrounding the melanoma, which remained in practice for 50 years. 

Modern knowledge of melanoma exploded in 1956, with the realization by Henry Lancaster that it was ultraviolet radiation and sunlight exposure that caused the disease. Today, we know that many genetic factors — like fair skin, family history, and eye color — all can indicate increased risk for melanoma, beyond simple sun exposure. Though there is a general understanding of how to prevent, identify, and treat melanoma today, research on the disease is still ongoing.

How Businesses Can Celebrate Melanoma Monday