Skin cancer screenings scheduled in May
Apr 09, 2010
(April 9, 2010) REACH for Community Health, the community education arm of North Adams Regional Hospital, will sponsor a free skin cancer screening clinic on Tuesday, May 11, and Thursday, May 13, from 6 to 8 p.m. in the Short Stay Unit on the first floor of NARH. Board-certified dermatologists Alan N. Binnick, MD, and Victoria R. Cavalli, MD, and dermatology physician assistant Amy Gumprecht, PA-C, will conduct the screenings for skin cancers including malignant melanoma, basal cell carcinoma, and squamous cell carcinoma. Free information about skin cancer will be available.
The clinic does not provide a complete body check, but instead is intended to check worrisome lesions. Reservations are required for the screening. Residents interested in scheduling a screening should call REACH at (413) 664-5326.
The incidence of skin cancer has increased in recent years, with more than one million cases of non-melanoma skin cancer in 2008, according to the National Cancer Institute. The incidence of malignant melanoma, the potentially lethal form of skin cancer, has increased significantly since 1980. Statistics from the American Cancer Society show that malignant melanoma is one of the most prevalent cancers in the United States with an estimated 68,000 new cases and about 8,600 deaths in 2009. In addition, there has been a dramatic increase in lifetime risk of developing malignant melanoma.
Skin cancer risk can be decreased by minimizing exposure to the sun between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. -- the so-called 'red zone' -- when the sun's rays are most intense.
Recommendations include wearing a hat that protects the scalp and face, clothing that protects the trunk and shoulders, and sunglasses with UV protection. Sunscreen with an SPF (sun protection factor) of 15 or greater should be applied to all exposed areas prior to significant exposure to the sun. |
