REACH schedules skin cancer screenings in May
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. - REACH for Community Health, the community education arm of North Adams Regional Hospital, will sponsor a free skin cancer screening clinic on Tuesday, May 5, and Thursday, May 7, from 6 to 8 p.m. in the Short Stay Unit on the first floor of NARH.Alan N. Binnick, M.D., and Victoria R. Cavalli, M.D., board-certified dermatologists on the NARH Medical Staff, 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 62,000 new cases and about 8,000 deaths in 2008. 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.
