Cancer Care

Storrs, CT (Sports Network) - Connecticut men’s basketball coach Jim Calhoun announced Friday that he is being treated for a form of skin cancer.

Calhoun spoke at a press conference Friday and said he underwent a procedure on his upper right neck on May 6. The cancer was removed, along with a small portion of the salivary gland and 37 additional lymph nodes from lower in the neck.
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The first argues that a tan is the body’s natural protection against sunburn. The second informs me that the rate of melanoma in the United States has doubled in the last 30 years.

I would like to know who is behind the first, which advocates rediscovering the sun, but the site does not tell me. Here’s a hint though: There’s a tanning salon locator at the top of the page.

The second? The World Health Organization.

Dr. David J. Leffell, a professor of dermatology and surgery at Yale University School of Medicine, is blunt about where he stands.
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It’s hard to avoid the Florida sunshine, but health experts warn everyone to limit sun exposure.

That’s because skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States with more than a million people diagnosed annually.

Tallahassee resident, Susanne Murphy noticed a lesion on her arm, and immediately went to her dermatologist where she learned she had melanoma.

Doctors say they are seeing more cases like Murphy’s. This form of skin cancer kills 8,000 people a year.

Susanne Murphy said, “Early detection is critical and early treatment is critical, if anybody has a suspicious lesion or spot on their body, immediately go to a dermatologist, it could save your life.”

Doctors say people can take precautions to avoid many skin cancers including:
-applying daily moisturizer with SPF 30 or higher
-cover up with clothing including a hat
-and wear UV-blocking sunglasses
-avoiding peak sun times

Source : www.wctv.tv

* The number of skin cancers occurring in the population under 35 years old has risen sharply in the last few years. One of the reasons for this, without a doubt, is the inadequate and indiscriminate use of tanning beds, revealed doctor Felipa Cotzomi Atzompa, a dermatologist appointed at the General Regional Hospital (HGR, in Spanish) Number 36 “San Alejandro” at the Mexican Institute of Social Security (IMSS, in Spanish) in Puebla.

“Over 30 sessions a year constitute a real danger, and over 50 can cause from premature ageing to skin melanoma”, she asserted.
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MILFORD — Sherrill Cooke is a woman on a mission.

The fifth annual Bob Cooke Memorial Trek Against Skin Cancer, which will be held Sunday, is now just the centerpiece of a year-long effort to raise awareness of and funding for the disease that claimed her father’s life.

There will be a “shopping day” June 14 at the Blue Tulip, from which a portion of the profits will be donated to the Bob Cooke Skin Cancer Foundation and a masquerade ball later this summer. In the fall, the foundation will hold a second annual event in Florida.
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May is Skin Cancer Awareness Month. Many of us are aware of the value of sun protection in the fight against skin cancer, but we often fail to realize the gravity of this potentially deadly disease. Every 65 minutes someone in the U.S. dies of melanoma, an astounding statistic for a disease which is nearly 100 percent curable when caught and treated early.

The incidence of skin cancer is increasing every year and at the current rate, one in five Americans will be diagnosed with skin cancer over the course of their lives. Sun protection alone is not enough to keep us safe. That’s why Olay and the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery (ASDS) have partnered for “Skin Cancer Takes Friends,” a nationwide program offering women the opportunity make an appointment with one of more than 300 participating dermatologists nationwide for a free screening for themselves and a friend or loved one  so they can go together. Marcia Cross is the national spokesperson of this campaign; the Web site: www.skincancertakesfriends.com.

Fourteen dermatologists in the Chicago-area are participating.

Sun-Smart Cities Ranked By New Survey

Most Americans are familiar with the popular city rankings of the fattest cities, the fittest cities, the most livable cities and the most expensive cities. Now, in the first-of-its-kind survey, the American Academy of Dermatology has identified the cities that take sun protection seriously and those that fail to make the grade despite repeated health warnings.

The “RAYS: Your Grade” survey polled adults in 32 U.S. metropolitan regions spanning 29 states on their knowledge, attitudes and behaviors toward tanning and sun protection. Cities were then ranked based on the percentage of people who scored A’s and B’s.

Of the 32 cities and states ranked on their percentage of A and B grades, Washington, DC, was ranked No. 1, with 47 percent of its residents receiving A’s and B’s, followed closely by New York City which earned the No. 2 ranking. Dr. Baker also observed that Miami, Tampa and Los Angeles - each noted for year-round sunny weather - rounded out the top five rankings.

At the other end of the sun-smart spectrum, Chicago was ranked last of the 32 cities polled, earning the designation of the least sun-smart city and demonstrating the need for increased efforts to educate residents on the dangers of sun exposure. In this case, only 21 percent of Chicagoans received A’s and B’s on their tanning and sun protection knowledge, attitudes and behaviors.

Chicago ranked significantly lower than average when residents’ responses to 10 of the survey questions were examined. For example, Chicagoans’ laissez-faire attitudes toward sun protection were evident when comparing their answers about how much they worry about sun exposure to adults in other cities.

When asked if they agree or disagree with the statement “I prefer to enjoy sunshine and not worry about what I should do to protect myself from it,” 41 percent of Chicago respondents agreed, representing the highest number of respondents across all cities and 10 percentage points higher than the average of 31 percent. Similarly, approximately half of Chicagoans (49 percent) agreed with the statement “Given my skin type, I don’t worry too much about sun exposure” - far exceeding the 37 percent of all adults who agreed with this statement.

In addition, a high proportion of Chicagoans (40 percent) felt that the climate in which they live was a reason why they were not that worried about skin cancer - implying that somehow their short period of sun exposure during the summer months could not cause enough damage to their skin to develop skin cancer.
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“I was surprised,” said Dr. Charles Cutler, adding, “I did not appreciate the importance of covering up, using sunscreen, keeping my skin away from the dangerous ultraviolet rays when I was young.”

And he’s not alone. According to a new survey in Pennsylvania alone, 60 percent of people rarely wear sunscreen. Now the Pennsylvania Medical Society is trying to take action with a new section on their web site.
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Three Nassau employees participating in a melanoma awareness campaign Thursday were referred to their doctors for possible skin cancer, county officials said.

The three were among 42 employees screened by doctors in the fifth-floor county legislature room in Mineola before a noon news conference on melanoma awareness led by Legislators Diane Yatauro (D-Glen Cove) and Norma Gonsalves (R-East Meadow).
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No tan is a good tan according to the Canadian Cancer Society.

That message was delivered at the unveiling of a new Summer Sun Safety guide by Darren Dick, president of the society’s Nova Scotia Division.

Nova Scotia currently has the second-highest rate of skin cancer in the country (PEI is first). The guide is an attempt to greatly reduce this preventable affliction.

Among the suggested actions are:

- reducing sun exposure when the UV rays are strongest, between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m.

- using sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or greater

- wearing protective clothing such as wide-brimmed hats and sun glasses with UV protection

- Acoiding tanning beds.

The guide was released by Sun Safe Nova Scotia, a coalition of several organizations such as the Canadian Cancer Society.

source : hfxnews.ca

Most of us know the best way to protect yourself against skin cancer is to cover up and wear sunscreen, but you may be able to drink your way to safer skin as well.
“The use of sunscreens to cover up the best that you can from the sun, the use of hats during the day, and try to avoid the sun during the hours of 10 in the morning to two in the afternoon when the sun intensity is the greatest outdoors - that in combination with drinking tea — I think would be useful,” says dermatologist Dr. Bryan Chen.
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