Comprehensive Cancer Control of South Dakota

Skin Cancer

    Skin Cancer Prevention - Linda Rae Placek, Acting Chair- Contact @ info@cancersd.com

Prevention Workgroup Conference Call Meetings are held the second Tuesday of the month @ 3 pm Central Time. Please e-mail Linda Rae to be placed on the workgroup roster and receive your notification of call-in information.

Skin Cancer Prevention Workgroup

Strategy: Educate South Dakotans on, and encourage them to practice, sun protection behaviors.

Outcomes

Increase the percent of South Dakotans who wear sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher when they are outside for more than one hour on a sunny day.

-        Baseline = 10.2% (SD BRFSS, 2007)

-        Target = 15%

All state parks have sun safety guidelines to provide their customers.

Day Care Providers Sunscreen Project- The link to the sun safe website is: http://www.healthmarkmultimedia.com/sunsafe/

PARENTS!

Protect your children and yourselves from too much sunlight - It's a fact! Childhood sunburns and tanning can increase your child's risk for developing skin cancer as an adult. Sunburns and tanning are actually outward signs of internal skin damage. Too much sun can cause skin cancer even if a person does not tan or experience a sunburn. Skin cancer is an epidemic and a common cancer in South Dakota. Melanoma, the most dangerous form of skin cancer, kills about eight thousand Americans every year! Anyone, regardless of skin color, can get skin cancer. Individuals at higher risk often have one or more of these characteristics. There are three major types of skin cancer. Skin cancer may develop within a mole or otherwise appear as a growth, pearly bump, open sore, or patch on the skin. If you spot a suspicious lesion or notice that a growth changes in either size, color, or shape, make an appointment quickly with a dermatologist or other medical professional.

Eight strategies to decrease you or your child's contact with harmful UV rays:

Reduce sun exposure from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Wear UV-protective sunglasses

Wear a hat with a wide brim or side/neck flaps

Use lip balm (SPF 30)

Wear longer clothing, weather permitting

Stay under shade when outdoors

Apply sunscreen (SPF 30) to exposed skin

Avoid tanning salons

Adapted from material produced by the California Department of Public Health, Skin Cancer Prevention Program.

Tobacco Prevention and Control - Jim McCord, Acting Chair
Jim.McCord@state.sd.us or 605-773-4932

Jim is the Tobacco Control Program Director at the SD Department of Health Tobacco Control Program

This program coordinates state efforts to prevent people from starting to use tobacco products, help current tobacco users quit, and reduce nonsmokers' exposure to second-hand smoke.
http://doh.sd.gov/Tobacco/Default.aspx

Nutrition & Physical Activity - Kristin Biskeborne, Chair
Kristin.Biskeborn@state.sd.us or 605-773-7473

Kristin is the State Nutritionist, working with the Worksite Wellness, WIC and Healthy SD Programs with the SD Department of Health. http://www.healthysd.gov/