Tel Aviv Far Ahead of Haifa in Skin Cancer Screening Rates
New data from Clalit, Israel’s largest health fund, show huge gaps of up to 30-fold between cities in mole-check screening for early skin cancer detection. The figures, published here for the first time, are based on the share of insured members who underwent a mole examination in 2025. Wealthier central Israeli cities lead by a wide margin, while peripheral cities lag far behind.
Tel Aviv topped the list, with 3% of Clalit members screened. Herzliya and Givatayim followed at 2.7% each. The rates then fell as the data moved away from the center, to 1.8% in Kiryat Ono, Rosh HaAyin and Ashdod, 1.3% in Beersheba, 1% in Modi'in-Maccabim-Re'ut, 0.4% in Bnei Brak, and 0.2% in Jerusalem. At the bottom were Haifa, Nahariya and Netanya, where only 0.1% of Clalit members were screened.
Prof. Arnon Cohen, Clalit’s skin-disease services director, said the campaign’s aim is to raise awareness of warning signs such as a new mole, a changing mole or an asymmetric lesion. He said the differences reflect public awareness more than access, noting that dermatology wait times are similar across the country, generally two to three months, and online consultations can provide a diagnosis and prescription within days. Still, a mole review requires an in-person appointment. The current campaign coincides with Israel’s 34th National Skin Cancer Awareness Week, led by the Israel Cancer Association, during which health funds offer free checks. Outside the week, screening is available year-round for a quarterly fee of about 30 shekels.
Cohen said the low national screening rates are partly because the data include all insured members, unlike narrower screening programs such as mammography. Skin cancer remains one of the most common cancers in Israel, with about 10,000 new cases a year of basal-cell and squamous-cell carcinoma. Melanoma is less common but more dangerous. The Israel Cancer Association estimates about 2,130 new melanoma cases in 2026, roughly 92% at an early stage, while the Health Ministry says 229 Israelis died of melanoma in 2022, with higher mortality among men. Prof. Gal Markel of Beilinson Hospital warned that early diagnosis saves lives and said there is no national program to invite the public for routine melanoma screening, only targeted monitoring for high-risk people.
