TORONTO, Ont. – The first ever “Skin Matters” conference will be taking over a Toronto hotel this coming weekend, and will offer free skin cancer screenings to anyone who is concerned they are at risk.

“Skin Matters is a conference for skin patients and their families,” said Christine Janus, executive director of the Skin Patient Alliance. “It’s the first-ever conference of this kind in Canada, and we’re very excited to be holding it. It’s an opportunity for skin patients to get together to learn more about their skin diseases.”

Statistics show melanoma is on the rise, and one in seven Canadians will develop a form of skin cancer in their lifetime. However, the current wait times to see a dermatologist can be as long as nine months.

“The Canadian Dermatology Association’s dermatologists are coming and they will be screening people’s skin on Saturday and on Sunday for all kinds of skin cancers,” Janus told 680News.

The three-day conference, to be held at the Toronto Eaton Centre Marriott Hotel on Bay Street, will begin Friday October 12.

Janus explains that time is of the essence when it comes to skin cancer, and the earlier it’s caught, the better.

“[It's] always really difficult to get in to see a dermatologist because there are so few of them, so this is a way to jump a nine-month queue.”

The Canadian Dermatology Association teams up with the Canadian Skin Patient Alliance for the event. For more information and to register, click here.