The Skin Cancer Foundation’s Destination Healthy Skin recreational vehicle pulled into Glencoe’s Lake Front Park this past Saturday to provide free skin cancer screenings.
“The event is designed to help save and improve lives by empowering people to take a proactive approach to Daily Sun protection, and the early detection and treatment of skin cancer,” Dr. Morayo Adisa, a volunteering dermatologist, said.
Dermatologists, like Adisa, volunteered to educate others on how to prevent skin cancer while also performing skin cancer screenings.
“People were thanking me profusely for volunteering — people love it,” she said. “I just enjoy educating people, we like to empower them and make them aware of skin cancer.”
Adisa said the Saturday event was a success and people poured into the park for their free screening. But, she said people should continuously take preventive measures to reduce the chance of getting skin cancer.
“There are a lot of preventive measures, such as seeking shade,” Adisa said. “Clothing is very powerful. It’s the first line of defense against cancer, so covering up with long sleeve shirts and pants whenever possible.”
She also recommended wearing wide-brimmed hats that can protect the scalp, neck, ears and wrap around sunglasses for eye protection.
Adisa also suggests patients undergo a skin cancer screening at least once a year.
Sunscreen is another preventive measure, she said. Adisa recommends using sunscreen with a sun protection factor greater than 30 on a daily basis and to reapply as needed.
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“For an extended period of time outdoors, try to use something that’s water resistant,” Adisa said. “Make sure to reapply, too. People should reapply sunscreen almost every two hours, particularly if they sweat the swim, or are not using one with water-resistant capabilities.”
The Skin Cancer Foundation’s Destination Healthy Skin initiative started approximately five years ago, according to its news release. It has made its way across the country with the first stop this year on May 6 in Stratford, CT and the last stop scheduled for Sept. 11 in Houston, TX.
Skin cancer is a prevalent form of cancer growing in popularity, according to the Skin Cancer Foundation. The organization anticipates that 3,860 new cases of melanoma, a dangerous form of skin cancer, will be diagnosed in Illinois in 2022.
Because of this, Adisa hopes people of all ages will receive education on preventive skin cancer actions.
“We need to just improve awareness and we need to ensure that both old and young people can know how to modify their risk factors,” she said.
Corey Schmidt is a freelance reporter with Pioneer Press.