Office of Community Outreach, Engagement, and Equity | |
May Awareness: Protecting Against Skin Cancer and Liver Cancer
Whether you’re headed outside for work or play this summer, you’ll want to protect your skin from the sun’s cancer-causing ultraviolet rays. It's Skin Cancer Awareness Month, and we’re sharing tips on how to avoid skin cancer or spot it early, when it’s easiest to treat.
It’s also Hepatitis Awareness Month, a time to highlight how the hepatitis virus is contributing to a steep rise in liver cancer in the U.S. and Texas, particularly among Hispanics, Blacks, and Asian/Pacific Islanders. We want you to know about a UT Southwestern program that provides free hepatitis testing, education, and connection to care.
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SKIN CANCER AWARENESS
Know The Basic Facts About Skin Cancer
Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer. It's usually caused by damage from ultraviolet (UV) rays, the invisible but harmful rays that cause us to burn or tan, whether we’re out in the sun or under the lamps in an indoor tanning bed.
Skin cancer comes in many different shapes and sizes, and it can appear anywhere on your body, from your scalp to your toes. It can show up in your eye, on your lip, in a nail, or on the soles of your feet.
People of all skin colors can get skin cancer. Though fair and freckled skin types have the highest risk for skin cancer, people who have dark skin or tan easily are also at risk.
Everyone should:
- Practice sun protection by using sunscreen, wearing sun-protective clothing, and avoiding the sun's harshest midday rays.
- Check their skin often for any growths, bumps, or lumps that are new, unusual, or changing.
- Pay special attention to a sore that won’t heal or a mole that’s changing shape, itching, or bleeding.
- See a doctor for yearly skin exams and make an immediate appointment to discuss any unusual skin changes.
Skin cancer can be treated successfully if it's found at an early stage.
To learn more about skin cancer, visit Skin Cancer | Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center | Condition | UT Southwestern Medical Center (utswmed.org). For more on sunscreens, visit Sunscreen FAQs (aad.org).
Sources: CDC, Skin Cancer Foundation, American Academy of Dermatology, EPA, UT Southwestern
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Learn How to Spot a Melanoma
UT Southwestern dermatologist Stephanie Savory teaches the ABCDEs of checking for melanoma, the most deadly form of skin cancer.
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Download Your
Prevention Guide
Click below for tips on choosing sunscreen, wearing sun-protective clothing, and making wise choices to prevent skin cancer or spot it early.
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HEPATITIS AWARENESS
Hepatitis Testing Helps Prevent Liver Disease and Cancer
Hepatitis is a serious disease that affects the liver – an important organ that keeps our body functioning properly. Most cases of hepatitis are caused by an infection with a virus that’s also called hepatitis. The most common forms are hepatitis A, B, and C.
Hepatitis B and C are the leading causes of liver cancer, yet many people infected with these viruses might not feel sick or even suspect they have a life-threatening illness. A simple blood test can tell whether someone is infected with hepatitis B or C, and those who are infected can receive effective treatment.
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Hepatitis B
Though hepatitis B virus is found worldwide, it’s more common in Asia and the Pacific Islands. Childhood vaccinations against hepatitis B have kept infection rates low among U.S. children and teens. However, among U.S. adults, Asian Americans have the highest infection rate. Liver cancer caused by long-term infection with hepatitis B is the leading cause of cancer deaths among Asian Americans.
There is no cure for hepatitis B; however, antiviral drugs can help limit its activity and stop further liver damage.
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Hepatitis C
Hepatitis C virus spreads through contact with infected blood. This can happen by sharing personal items such as razors and toothbrushes or sharing needles during injection drug use. It is a particular concern for people who received a blood transfusion or organ transplant before blood was routinely tested for hepatitis, beginning in 1992.
Doctors now recommend that all adults ages 18 and older get tested at least once for hepatitis C. There are medications that can cure most cases of hepatitis C and help prevent liver cancer.
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UTSW HepBFree Project Offers Free Hepatitis Screenings
After a pause during the COVID pandemic, UT Southwestern medical students are back in the community offering free screenings for hepatitis B and C through their nationally recognized Dallas-Fort Worth Hepatitis B Free Project (DFW HepBFree).
Since 2011, the DFW HepBFree team has traveled to churches and community centers across the Metroplex to conduct screening events for communities at risk for hepatitis – including immigrant communities from Vietnam, Africa, and Latin American. The medical students draw a small sample of blood from each attendee, and the blood is sent to a lab for hepatitis testing.
Once lab results are in, the UTSW team returns for a "sit-down" follow-up to discuss findings and next steps. Medical professionals who speak the language of the community are on hand to communicate whether a person:
- Is currently infected with hepatitis B or has been infected in the past
- Has immunity to hepatitis B, either because of prior vaccination or a cleared infection
- Is at risk of hepatitis B infection and should be vaccinated
- Shows evidence of a hepatitis C infection
Anyone unable to make the follow-up event receives lab results by mail or phone.
Individuals testing positive for hepatitis B or C are referred to local liver doctors for further evaluation and treatment, and those in need of a hepatitis B vaccination are referred to programs that reimburse for costs.
“We think about getting mammograms and colonoscopies,” says program leader Patrick Lynch, “but not screening for a virus that causes cancer.” According to Mr. Lynch, many medical students on the HepBFree team feel a personal tie to the communities they serve through the program and are committed to helping fight “a chronic, quiet infection that’s difficult to treat if it’s caught too late.”
For more information on the DFW HepBFree Project or to schedule a free screening event for your community, visit DFW Hep B Free - Home or email utsw.hepbfree@gmail.com.
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You're Invited: Community Events | | |
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FREE Mammograms – Moncrief Cancer Institute Mobile Screening Clinic
Simmons' Moncrief Cancer Institute is offering free mammograms to women 40 and older without insurance. Call 800-405-7739 for more information on qualifications and to schedule your appointment for one of the following Saturdays. Appointments begin at 8:30 a.m.
May 11, Nocona General Hospital
100 Park Road
Nocona, TX 76255
May 12, Stop 6 Mobile Food Pantry
5429 Cox Street
Fort Worth, TX 76105
May 14, Mercy Clinic
800 W. Berry Street
Fort Worth, TX 76110
May 19, Wise County Medical & Surgical
1001 Eagle Drive
Decatur, TX 76234
May 21, Grace Community Church
801 W. Bardin Road
Arlington, TX 76017
May 28, Fellowship Christian Center Church
1609 14th Street
Plano, TX 75074
FREE Skin Cancer Screenings – Destination Healthy Skin – Saturday, June 18, 1 to 4 p.m.
Location to be announced. Email CancerAnswerLine@UTSouthwestern.edu for notification.
FREE Hepatitis B and C Screenings – DFW HepBFree Project
Email utsw.hepbfree@gmail.com to schedule a screening for your organization. Interpreters available in several languages.
UTSW Science Café on Skin Cancer – Thursday, June 16, 7 to 8 p.m. via Zoom
Divya Srivastava, M.D., will discuss skin cancer prevention, treatment, and current research. Contact OfficeofCOEE@UTSouthwestern.edu to register.
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Visit the Office of Community Outreach, Engagement, and Equity to learn more about our mission to reduce the cancer burden in North Texas and promote equity in cancer prevention, care, and outcomes through research, education, and engagement, particularly for racially and ethnically diverse, rural, and other underserved communities.
See how you can join us!
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For newsletter questions or comments, email Renee.Barber@UTSouthwestern.edu. | | | | |
