More Than 180 Beachgoers Get Free Cancer Screenings
Moffitt Cancer Center returned to Clearwater Beach on July 26 with its annual free cancer screening event. Experts were on hand to offer skin, head, neck and oral cancer screenings throughout the day, and 182 people took advantage of the opportunity.
Screeners identified 94 suspicious findings and three melanomas.
“It’s a busy beach day and we are happy to see everyone who has come through,” said Deepa Danan, MD, a head and neck cancer surgeon with Moffitt’s Head and Neck-Endocrine Oncology Department who was on hand to offer screenings. “The importance of screenings like this cannot be overstated. Catching things early is always the best way to beat cancer, and coming to screenings like this is a good way to do that.”
A New Year, a New Setup
This year’s event set up under a large tent near the walkway rather than the wooden pavilion overlooking Clearwater Beach. Visitors were encouraged to stop into the tent for a quick exam, often taking less than 10 minutes. If something of concern was discovered, they were offered information on the best next steps.
A screener looks closely for signs of skin cancer."We have providers here including doctors, physician assistants and nurse practitioners, and if they find something it could save your life,” said Vernon Sondak, MD, chair of Moffitt’s Cutaneous Oncology Department. “Skin cancer rates are astronomical here in Florida, but if it’s detected early, it improves our chance to cure it, sometimes with just a simple procedure in the dermatologist’s office.”
Sondak said events like this also provide an opportunity to educate the public about the importance of sun safety, adding that wearing sunblock, long sleeve shirts and wide-brimmed hats can make a big difference.
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94
Suspicious Findings
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3
Melanomas
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5.5 Million
People Diagnosed With Skin Cancer Each Year
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55,000
Americans Diagnosed With Head, Neck And Oral Cancers Each Year
An Additional Vacation Stop
The screening event was a surprise addition to the first day of Connie Bayer’s vacation. Bayer, a visitor from Ohio, arrived on Clearwater Beach for vacation and just happened to see Moffitt’s tent.
More than 180 people took advantage of Moffitt’s free cancer screenings.
“I was really just making my way over to Starbucks when I saw something going on here,” she said. “I think this is such a brilliant idea so I thought I would take advantage of it. Everyone was so kind, and it was really fast. He doesn’t know it yet, but I’m bringing my husband back this afternoon.”
Experts estimate that more than 5.5 million people are diagnosed with a form of skin cancer each year. Head and neck cancers are less common, but experts say 55,000 Americans are diagnosed with head, neck and oral cancers each year. Most of the cases are caused by tobacco use, excessive alcohol consumption or ultraviolet light exposure.
