Free Skin Cancer Screening at New Stanford Medicine Outpatient Center
For Immediate Release-05/11/09
Media Contact: Liat Kobza, 650.723.1462, lkobza@stanfordmed.org
STANFORD, Calif.— Melanoma is the rarest and deadliest form of skin cancer. The American Cancer Society estimates that about 62,000 new melanomas were diagnosed in the United States during 2008. The Stanford Department of Dermatology will offer its annual free skin cancer screening from 9 a.m. to noon on May 16 at the Stanford Medicine Outpatient Center in Redwood City.
Physicians from the Stanford School of Medicine and Stanford Hospital & Clinics will join community dermatologists to check for unusual moles or irregular blemishes that could signify the onset of melanoma or the more common types of skin cancer, including both basal-cell and squamous-cell carcinoma. High-risk individuals or those without regular dermatologic care are encouraged to attend. Individuals at a higher risk of developing melanoma are those who have fair skin and a history of excessive exposure to the sun, have many moles and/or have a first-degree relative who has been diagnosed with melanoma.
Susan Swetter, MD
Susan Swetter, MD, associate professor of dermatology and director of the Pigmented Lesion and Cutaneous Melanoma Clinic at the Stanford Cancer Center, recently spoke about the importance of getting screened during a podcast of the “1:2:1” program, produced by the medical school’s Office of Communication & Public Affairs. “If we can’t change tanning or sunburn behaviors, at least we hope to promote skin self-examinations and getting people into the doctor early because that can be the difference between life and death for melanoma,” said Swetter.
Stanford’s dermatologists were early adopters of innovative treatments for skin cancers, and have made early detection and prevention methods an important part of their care protocol (read one patient’s story here).
Swetter and Hayes Gladstone, MD, associate professor and director of dermatologic surgery at Stanford, will also give a free lecture on skin cancer, skin protection and skin rejuvenation at 6:30 p.m. May 13 at the Arrillaga Alumni Center, 326 Galvez St., on the Stanford campus.
The May 16 free skin screening is open to everyone on a first-come, first-served basis. The Stanford Medicine Outpatient Center is located at 450 Broadway St, Pavilion B, 4th floor, in Redwood City. For more information, please call (650) 725-8400.
To subscribe to "1:2:1," a series of conversations about health-care policy and biomedical research, visit Stanford on iTunes U at http://itunes.stanford.edu and go to the "Health and Medicine" category.
About Stanford Hospital & Clinics
Stanford Hospital & Clinics is known worldwide for advanced treatment of complex disorders in areas such as cardiovascular care, cancer treatment, neurosciences, surgery, and organ transplants. Consistently ranked among the top institutions in the U.S. News & World Report annual list of “America’s Best Hospitals,” Stanford Hospital & Clinics is internationally recognized for translating medical breakthroughs into the care of patients. It is part of the Stanford University Medical Center, along with the Stanford University School of Medicine and Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital at Stanford. For more information, visit http://stanfordmedicine.org.