CHI Health Good Samaritan Hosting Free Skin Cancer Screening–May 18
To help catch skin cancer early when it’s most treatable, CHI Health Good Samaritan is providing a free screening from 3 pm until 5 pm on Thursday, May 18 at the hospital’s Cancer Center at 104 W. 33rd Street.
Health care providers will inspect participant’s skin for signs of cancer. The exam is not private and only exposed skin will be checked. This event is a rapid screening and should not replace or be a substitute for yearly examinations.
May is melanoma and skin cancer awareness month. Skin cancer is the most common cancer in the U.S. affecting one in five people according to the American Academy of Dermatology.
Registration is not required. For more information, call (308) 398-8912 or visit Cancer Care.
More about skin cancer from the American Academy of Dermatology (SpotSkinCancer.org
People of all colors and races can get skin cancer. There are many different types of skin cancer, including actinic keratoses (AK), basal cell carcinoma (BCC), squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), and melanoma. BCC and SCC are the most common forms of skin cancer, but melanoma is the most deadly. With early detection and proper treatment, the cure rate for BCC and SCC is about 95 percent. When melanoma is detected before it spreads, it also has a high cure rate. Regular self-skin exams and a yearly examination by a dermatologist help people find early skin cancers.
Who is at risk:
• Risk factors for all types of skin cancer include skin that burns easily; blond or red hair; a history of excessive sun exposure, including sunburns; tanning bed use; immune system-suppressing diseases or treatments; and a history of skin cancer.
• People with more than 50 moles, atypical moles, or large moles are also at an increased risk of developing melanoma.
• Caucasians and men older than 50 have a higher risk of developing melanoma than the general population.
• While people with skin of color have a lower risk of developing melanoma, the disease is often diagnosed at later stages in skin of color, when melanoma is more advanced and more difficult to treat.
• Skin cancer in skin of color is often found on areas of the body that get little sun, such as the soles of the feet, groin, buttocks and inside the mouth.
• Melanoma is the second most common form of cancer in females age 15-29.
How to prevent skin cancer:
• Exposure to UV light is the most preventable risk factor for all skin cancers. The AmericanAcademy of Dermatology encourages everyone to protect their skin from the sun’s harmful UV rays by seeking shade, wearing protective clothing and using a sunscreen with a Sun Protection Factor of 30 or higher.
• People should not use tanning beds or sun lamps, which are sources of artificial UV radiation that may cause skin cancer.
• Using indoor tanning beds before age 35 can increase your risk of melanoma by 59 percent; the risk increases with each use.
• Skin cancer warning signs include changes in size, shape or color of a mole or other skin lesion, the appearance of a new growth on the skin, or a sore that doesn’t heal.
• If you notice a new spot or an existing spot that changes, itches, or bleeds, the American Academy of Dermatology recommends that you make an appointment to see a board-certified dermatologist.