May is National Skin Cancer Awareness Month -- perfect timing, especially considering how much additional sunshine most communities start to see as spring rolls into summer.
The month of awareness
Each May, we look to do what we can to help educate folks about this disease. It's the most common form of cancer in the United States, and many skin cancer cases can be prevented through regular screenings and sun-safe habits (such as wearing wide-brimmed hats, long-sleeved shirts and sunscreen on exposed areas).
Today, the UA Skin Cancer Institute is kicking off "Trivia Tuesday," where they will post a trivia question to their Facebook page to test your knowledge on Skin Cancer and Sun Safety. You will have until Friday to answer, and the first person to answer correctly will win a prize.
Today's question has two parts: 1) What is the most common type of skin cancer? 2) What is the estimated number of new cases, of that type of cancer, diagnosed annually in the US?
UA Cancer Center takes part in National Cancer Research Month
Each May, dozens of the top cancer research facilities in the United States highlight some of their most innovative, groundbreaking projects as part of National Cancer Research Month.
In 2007, the United States Congress declared May National Cancer Research Month. The University of Arizona Cancer Center is joining the American Association for Cancer Research's national campaign to raise awareness of the importance of cancer research and the progress that research institutions are making in critical areas of research and patient care.
We're in the final stages of preparing our Summer edition of Act Against Cancer, which covers some truly incredible research projects already taking place at the UA Cancer Center. Sally Dickinson, PhD, is currently exploring how sulforaphane, a naturally occurring compound in broccoli, can be extracted and used as a topical solution to combat skin cancer. In addition, Monica Yellowhair, PhD, is examining how depleted uranium exposure could potentially impact a cell's ability to repair itself.