MEDIA ADVISORY: Free Skin Cancer Screening Clinic at UCSF
What: The UCSF Department of Dermatology is holding its annual free skin cancer screening clinic for the community. Insurance is not required and no appointment is necessary. Screenings will be performed to determine the possibility of skin cancer. Medical consultations will not be provided for other skin conditions, such as rashes or abrasions.
UCSF hosts this annual public event to heighten awareness of the dangers of skin cancer and the importance of regular screening and early detection.
Media are invited to attend until 10 a.m. – please contact Lily Wong, Community Relations Representative, at (415) 650-7443.
When: 8 a.m. – 4 p.m., Saturday, May 4, 2019
Where: UCSF Department of Dermatology, 1701 Divisadero Street, 3rd floor, San Francisco
Why: Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer, according to the American Cancer Society (ACS), with one in five Americans predicted to develop the disease in their lifetime. Basal and squamous cell skin cancers are typically found in areas of sun exposure, including the neck, face and arms, but they can develop in other locations. While these cancers are common, they are highly treatable.
More than 5 million basal and squamous cell skin cancers are diagnosed annually in about 3 million Americans, some of whom have multiple cancers, according to the ACS.
Melanoma skin cancer is less common but more likely to grow and spread – the rates of melanoma have been rising for the last 30 years. The risk of melanoma increases with age, but for young adults, melanoma is one of the most common forms of cancer. Exposure to tanning beds increases the risk of melanoma. Approximately 96,480 new melanomas are expected to be diagnosed in 2019, reports the ACS, with 57,220 expected in men and 39,260 in women. Approximately, 7,230 people are expected to die from the disease (4,740 men, 2,490 women).
UC San Francisco (UCSF) is a leading university dedicated to promoting health worldwide through advanced biomedical research, graduate-level education in the life sciences and health professions, and excellence in patient care. It includes top-ranked graduate schools of dentistry, medicine, nursing and pharmacy; a graduate division with nationally renowned programs in basic, biomedical, translational and population sciences; and a preeminent biomedical research enterprise. It also includes UCSF Health, which comprises three top-ranked hospitals – UCSF Medical Center and UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals in San Francisco and Oakland – as well as Langley Porter Psychiatric Hospital and Clinics, UCSF Benioff Children’s Physicians and the UCSF Faculty Practice. UCSF Health has affiliations with hospitals and health organizations throughout the Bay Area. UCSF faculty also provide all physician care at the public Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center, and the SF VA Medical Center. The UCSF Fresno Medical Education Program is a major branch of the University of California, San Francisco’s School of Medicine.