COEUR d'ALENE - The Kootenai Cancer Center is teaming up with North Idaho Dermatology and Advanced Dermatology and Skin Surgery to offer free skin cancer checks to the community to help aid cancer prevention and early detection.

Each year more than 2 million people in the United States are diagnosed with skin cancer making it the most commonly diagnosed type of cancer, according to release from Kootenai Health.

While early detection is important if you already have skin cancer, experts say education about sun safety is vital to preventing skin cancer before it starts.

"The best way to prevent skin cancer is to minimize sun exposure," Dermatologist Stephen Craig, of North Idaho Dermatology, said.

"Idaho actually has some of the highest rates of occurrence and death from melanoma in the country," he said. "It may be due to the way we get our sun exposure. We can get our sun in intense bursts in the winter on vacation, skiing and during the summer."

People can become familiar with the warning signs of skin cancer, in particular melanoma. Melanoma can be cured if found early, but can be fatal if spread to other parts of the body.

Saturday testing will be 8-10:30 a.m. at the Coeur d'Alene Cancer Center, 700 W. Ironwood Drive, Suite 103, and on May 11 from 9 to 11 a.m. at Post Falls Cancer Center, 1440 E. Mullan Ave.