While classically thought to be problem of people over 50, there has been a sharp rise in skin cancers among younger adults, roughly tripling in some groups in the last 20 years.
A person's risk of skin cancer doubles if he or she has had five or more sunburns. Inadequate sun protection is a direct and well-known cause of cancer.
Visits to tanning booths, basically high-dose UV radiation machines, are even worse because occasional yet intense UV exposure poses a greater risk of melanoma skin cancer than does spending long hours in the sun. A Mayo Clinic study showed that up to 40% of skin cancers are found on areas not typically exposed to the sun, and that tanning is a suspected cause.
The Sun Protection Lecture series is a program designed to educate non-medical and particularly young audiences about skin cancer and the critical importance of sun protection.
Volunteers from the UT Southwestern Dermatology Interest Group visit Middle School classrooms in the Dallas area and conduct interactive presentations for teens and pre-teens about:
* Different types of skin cancer
* How to prevent it
and also
* Emphasize to this impressionable age group that beauty
comes in all skin types, and that healthy skin is beautiful.
With the gracious help of Jean Schlipmann, founder of the Schlipmann Melanoma Cancer Foundation, our Dermatology Interest Group officers have developed an interactive program, complete with power-point presentation, ideal for teenage audiences.
We are always looking for enthusiastic people to serve as presenters. Please contact our program directors to get involved!
Vanessa.Casanova@utsouthwestern.edu
Shelley.Redfern@utsouthwestern.edu
Shelley.Redfern@utsouthwestern.edu
