Melanoma campaign will offer details on deadly disease

This spring, the University will kick off an awareness campaign to alert members of the campus community to the dangers of melanoma, a deadly skin cancer.

With sunny weather approaching, many people are looking forward to outdoor activities, but health experts warn that care should be taken to protect skin from the dangers that can result from too much of a good thing.

More than a 1.3 million Americans are diagnosed each year with skin cancer, according to the American Cancer Society. Of these, nearly 50,000 people will experience melanoma, the most serious form of skin cancer that begins in melanocytes, the skin cells that produce the skin coloring–or protective pigment–called melanin.

Melanoma consists of melanocytes that have been transformed into cancer cells. Oftentimes, these begin as ordinary moles, and the most important warning sign is a change in a mole's size, shape or color.

Although experts claim that a major cause of melanoma is unprotected exposure to the sun, this cancer may appear on skin not exposed to the sun.

Dr. Joseph Siebold said Student Health Services (SHS)is working to raise awarenessof this disease by distributing information from the American Cancer Society and by displaying posters at frequently visited sites on campus.Health Services also has alink on its website [http://www. udel.edu/shs] provided by the Melanoma Education Foundation.

That foundation was established by the family of Daniel N. Fine of Massachusetts, who died of melanoma in 1998 at age 26.

The Centers for Disease Control, in a 1996 survey, found that nearly 75 percent of individuals in the 18 to 24 age group had little or no knowledge of melanoma and that among the 25 to 29 age group the incidence of the disease is increasing.

This foundation's mission is to help save lives and alert the public, specifically teens and young adults, to the dangerous effects of melanoma. Its web site [http://www.skincheck.org/] emphasizes the importance of monthly self-examination of the skin to detect melanoma while it is thin and curable. Included are details on how to conduct a self-examination, photographs of melanoma and a list of answers to frequently asked questions.

"Being aware of the potential danger of melanoma is a large step in addressing the problem and saving lives," Siebold said. "Knowing where to find accurate information in a timely fashion is very important. Our staff is prepared and able to provide guidance and direction to any student who is concerned, or who thinks he or she has a skin cancer problem. The best thing to do is visit with one of our medical staff, or with a family physician, if they have the slightest concern."

–Ed Okonowicz