Sun Smarts

NARRAGANSETT, RI  – Seeking to spread the word on skin cancer prevention and detection, U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) is teaming up with the Rhode Island Department of Health and the Comprehensive Cancer Center at Rhode Island Hospital Monday to launch the Sun Smarts campaign, which offers free skin cancer screenings at local beaches around the state throughout July and August.  The goal of the free screenings is to help catch cases of skin cancer in their earliest, most treatable stages and educate the public about effective sun protection.

Conducted in a private setting by board certified dermatologists and dermatology residents affiliated with Lifespan Hospital, the free skin cancer screenings include a visual inspection of a patient’s skin by a medical professional with no blood work required.  A typical screening takes about 15 minutes and officials hope to screen about 500 beach goers.

Speaking from sunny Scarborough beach, Senator Reed stated: “Skin cancer can be deadly, but it is also preventable and early detection is key.  This is a quick and easy way for people to get checked out and a good reminder to properly use sunscreen and other sun smart products that can help prevent sun damage.”

The first come, first served screenings will be offered at Easton’s Beach in Newport; Roger Wheeler Beach and Scarborough Beach in Narragansett; East Matunuck Beach in South Kingstown; and Second Beach in Middletown.  A full schedule with dates, times and locations is available here.

The Sun Smarts public health campaign is made possible by The Partnership to Reduce Cancer in Rhode Island, a broad based coalition of partners who have come together to provide input on the planning and implementation of programs and services around comprehensive cancer control.  Other community partners in this effort include the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (RI DEM), ABC 6 News, Walgreens, the American Cancer Society and the PawSox, who recently began providing free sunscreen to all fans at the baseball stadium this summer.

“This is an important effort and I thank the many partners who have come together to promote sun safety throughout Rhode Island.  We all know people are busy and sometimes find excuses not to make those appointments to see a doctor or a dermatologist.  So these volunteers are setting up shop right by the surf and sand and making it as quick and easy as possible for people to get help,” said Reed, the author of the Sunscreen Innovation Act, a bipartisan bill to improve sunscreen protection, promote sunscreen use, and ensure U.S. consumers have access to the safest, most effective sunscreens available.  The legislation seeks to expedite the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) approval process for active ingredients in sunscreens that have long been approved and safely used in places like Europe, Canada, and other countries, but have had their applications pending before the FDA for a decade or more.

Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States, with more than 3.5 million skin cancers in over 2 million people diagnosed annually.  Each year there are more new cases of skin cancer than the combined incidence of cancers of the breast, prostate, lung and colon, and an estimated 76,100 new cases of invasive melanoma will be diagnosed in the U.S. in 2014. 

Researchers at Brown University recently published a study in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention that found that five or more bad sunburns while young led to an 80 percent increased risk for melanoma -- the most deadly form of skin cancer – for Caucasian women later in life.

Dermatologists note there are several precautions to help reduce sun damage, including:

  • Properly applying sunscreen before sun exposure and reapplying throughout the day.
  • Wearing hats, sunglasses, and covering up with clothing.
  • Seeking shade instead of direct sunlight during the peak hours of UV radiation (10 a.m. to 3 p.m.).

Rhode Islanders interested in receiving a free screening and consultation are asked to wear their bathing suit and stop by any of the screening events scheduled this summer.  Those who require a follow-up will be referred for dermatology consultations.

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