You may not be sunbathing, but if you’re planting your garden, playing golf, hitting tennis balls, fishing or even driving with your sunroof open, you’re getting exposure to ultraviolet (UV) rays which can lead to skin cancer. In fact, skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the U.S., including basal cell, squamous cell and melanoma, the deadliest form of cancer.
The DFW Dermatological Societies, American Cancer Society, and three area health care providers invite you to participate in a FREE melanoma/skin cancer screening on Saturday, May 16, 2015, 8 a.m. – 12 Noon.
Screening locations include:
Doctors Hospital at White Rock Lake, 9440 Poppy Drive, Dallas, 75218. Please call 866.764.3627 for reservations.
Texas Oncology-Arlington North, 902 W. Randol Mill Road, Suite 150, Arlington, 76012. Call 817.756.8502 for information.
The Medical Center of Plano, 3901 W. 15th St., Plano, 75075. Call 817.756.8502 for information.
• Dermatologists will be available to check moles and other suspicious skin spots for signs of cancer to determine if further analysis is necessary
• No appointment needed, first come, first served
• Children age 18 and younger need to have a parent/guardian present
• Free parking
“When caught early, skin cancer has a 98 percent cure rate,” says Helen Kaporis, D.O., board-certified dermatologist and chairperson of 2015 Skin Screening. “An estimated 50 percent of fair-skinned people who live to be 65 will develop at least one skin cancer, however all skin types are at risk for developing skin cancer.”
According to the American Cancer Society Cancer Facts & Figures 2015
http://www.cancer.org/research/cancerfactsstatistics/index
• The ACS estimates that in 2015: 2,410 new cases of melanoma will be diagnosed in Texas.
• The most common types of skin cancer are basal cell and squamous cell. The most deadly type of skin cancer is melanoma.
• Melanoma, one of the deadliest types of skin cancer, is about 98 percent curable if caught in its earliest stages and treated properly. Most basal and squamous cell cancers can also be cured, especially if the cancer is detected and treated early.
• Melanoma incidence rates rose rapidly over the past 30 years. However, trends vary by age and appear to be plateauing in younger age groups.
Prevention Tips from the American Cancer Society:
• If you are planning to be in the sun, use a sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30.
• Avoid tanning beds and sun lamps as they provide additional UV radiation that has been directly associated with increased skin cancer risk. In 2009, the International Agency for Research on Cancer upgraded the classification of indoor tanning devices from “probably carcinogenic” to “carcinogenic to humans.”
For more information on dermatology and skin cancer, contact the American Academy of Dermatology at 1-866-503-SKIN (7546) or online at www.aad.org. For cancer information, visit www.cancer.org.
For more information about this screening: 817.756.8502
www.DFWSkinCancerScreening.org
