Sun Safety
Essex County Cancer Coalition Meeting
June 3, 2010
Amanda Medina-Forrester, MA, MPH
Office of Community Outreach
Office of Extramural Affairs
The Cancer Institute of New Jersey
What is Choose Your Cover?
Going Outdoors in NJ to Fight Melanoma/Skin
Cancer
• A statewide collaborative initiative
• Promotes risk education, early detection
and skin cancer screenings at outdoor
venues;
• Increases awareness about the need for
protection from UV rays which is the
easiest way to eliminate the most common
risk factor for melanoma.
Is Skin Cancer THAT Harmful?
•
•
•
•
•
Skin cancer is the most common cancer in the US
A history of excessive sun exposure, including sunburns, is
a risk factor for melanoma/skin cancer
Melanoma is an epidemic and in the United States; since
1995 incidence rates are rising 3.8% per year in those aged
15 to 34 years and 8.85% in those 65 and older since 2003.
In NJ Melanoma is a serious threat where the number of
new melanoma cases is the fifth in the nation.
Melanoma is the 5th most common cancer in men and 6th
most common in women.
2008/2009
1,917 NJ beach-goers were screened for skin cancer
555 (29%)referrals including:
• 78 (4%) basal cell carcinomas
• 36 (2%) squamous cell
carcinomas
• 62 (3%) suspected melanomas
2008/2009 (cont’d)
Thousands of sunscreen samples & skin cancer educational brochures distributed
Choose Your Cover 2010
July 17, 2010 (Raindate: July 18)
• Goals
Simultaneously provide free skin cancer screenings
and education at outdoor recreational areas
statewide 10 AM to 2 PM
– Increase # of:
• Participating counties from 4 to 21
• Screening sites from 11 to 28
• Participants from 1,976 to 2,600
– Educate people about skin cancer
(# to be determined)
CINJ-DEVELOPED MATERIALS
Everyone, Regardless of Skin Color,
Can Get Skin Cancer
[YOUR NAME HERE]
[AFFILIATION]
By the End of the Session, You Will Know:
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
Am I at risk for skin cancer?
Why is my skin so important?
What is skin cancer?
What makes the sun so dangerous?
How do I protect myself from the sun?
What is sunscreen?
How do I check for skin cancer?
Is it OK to Get a Tan or Sunburn?
Everyone, regardless of skin color,
can sunburn!
A suntan or sunburn are not
indicators of good health.
Tanning and sunburns are just like smoking
cigarettes; just one suntan or sunburn
can increase your risk of cancer,
regardless of skin color.
How Do I Protect My Skin?
“Slip, Slop, Slap, & Wrap”
SLIP on a shirt
SLOP on sunscreen
and lip balm with
an SPF of 15
or higher
SLAP on a hat with a 2 to
3-inch brim all around
to protect neck, ears,
nose and scalp
WRAP on sunglasses to
protect the eyes and skin
around them
Any Special Info for Children?
• Infant skin burns more easily than that of older kids.
• Sunscreen should not be applied to babies under 6
months of age, so just keep them out of the sun
whenever possible.
– If your infant must be in the sun, dress him or her in clothing
that covers the body, including hats with wide brims to
shadow the face.
– Use an umbrella to create shade.
• For kids age 6 months and older, select an SPF of 15
or higher to prevent both sunburn and tanning.
How Do I Use Sunscreen?
• Apply sunscreen whenever you will be in the sun.
• Apply sunscreen about 30 minutes before you go outside so that
a good layer of protection can form. Don't forget about lips,
hands, ears, feet, shoulders, and behind the neck.
• Don't try to stretch out a bottle of sunscreen; apply it generously.
• Reapply sunscreen often, approximately every 2 to 3 hours.
• Reapply after if you’ve been sweating or swimming.
• Apply a waterproof sunscreen if you will be around water or
swimming. And regardless of the waterproof label, be sure to
reapply sunscreen when you come out of the water.
•
Throw away any sunscreen products that are past their expiration dates
BE SURE TO FOLLOW THESE RULES WITH YOUR KIDS AND LOVED ONES!!!
What Should I Look For?
– The ABCDE Rule –
Asymmetry: One half
of the mole does not
match the other half.
Border irregularity: The
edges of the mole are
irregular or not smooth.
They may look ragged,
blurred, or notched.
Bob Marley (1945-1981)
Reggae musician
Died of melanoma which
started in his toe and
spread to brain
*Info provided by
Tiffany Weirbach Melanoma Foundation
Powerpoints and
Pre/Post-Tests available
in Spanish and English
This is great! How can I get a copy of
this to use in my community?
CINJ Educational Materials Archive
Archive
• CINJ materials are available
at no cost and available
immediately for download
• Materials development and
design
• Materials dissemination
• Increase community
awareness of cancer
prevention, early detection,
and treatment
Go to
http://cinj.org/outreach/
and click on the link in the NEW!
section
OR
https://cinjweb.umdnj.edu/network/outreach/
Thank You!
Deb Levinson
State Coordinator, Choose Your Cover
Mountainside Hospital
Statewide Melanoma Workgroup, NJ Office of Cancer
Control and Prevention, & CINJ Faculty
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
Contact Information
Kiameesha Evans, MPH, CHES
Program Director
evanskr@umdnj.edu
Amanda Medina, MA, MPH
Program Development Specialist
medinaay@umdnj.edu
Ciara Rivera
Staff Assistant
riveraci@umdnj.edu
Office of Community Outreach
The Cancer Institute of New Jersey
www.facebook.com/TheCINJ