The Advanced Anatomy and Physiology class at the high school has been busy with their cancer awareness project funded by the Ottumwa Regional Legacy Foundation. Some of their recent projects included: visiting area elementary schools; selling t-shirts and water bottles; and continuing advertisements on the local radio stations and newspapers. The months of April and May are spotlight months for skin and testicular cancer, which the class is also focusing on.
With summer nearing, many women and men are headed to the indoor tanning salons to get bronzed for their summer activities, but little do they know every trip to the tanning salon is ruining their skin. Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States as more than 3.5 million skin cancers are diagnosed annually.
Some quick statistics from the Skin Cancer Foundation indicate that:
- 73,870 cases of melanoma in the United States will be diagnosed in 2015, and 9,940 of those cases will die
- Tanning in an indoor establishment presents a 69% increased risk of early-onset basal cell carcinoma
You can prevent skin cancer by wearing sunblock when outside and avoiding indoor tanning salons. If you’re unsure as to whether or not you have skin cancer do a self check using the A, B, C, and D method, and if any these look suspicious contact your local dermatologist.
According to the American Cancer Society, testicular cancer occurs when cells that aren't normal grow out of control in the testicles (testes). Testicular cancer is rare, but also the most common among young men, ages 15 to 35. Some signs and symptoms of testicular cancer include, but are not limited to:
- Lump or swelling in the testicle
- Breast growth or soreness
Note that some men have no symptoms of testicular cancer and their cancer is found at a routine check up. The 2015 projected outlook for testicular cancer in the United States is 8,430 new cases will be diagnosed and about 380 men will die of testicular cancer.
