Jul 16, 2008 1:06 pm US/Eastern
Experts Give Free Cancer Screenings To Beach-Goers
BOSTON (WBZ) ―
Feeling a little hot?
Five-year-old Nicole Palatierre recommends a cool dip in the ocean. But before a day of fun in the sun, Nicole and friends get slathered up to shield them from damaging rays.
"We find that when we're at the beach we use the spray because I can spray them as they're running."
It's a ritual the team at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute hopes more people do. This morning, a team of experts came to Salisbury beach to give free skin cancer screenings and education. Not only does a doctor give full-body exams, but a special UV camera gives patients a snapshot of the damage the sun has caused their skin.
"All of the sun damage you get is cumulative. It doesn't go away. From the time you're a little kid till you're an old, old person. It's all in your skin," said Dana-Farber's Adrienne Grafton.
The camera does not detect cancer, but it does scare people straight about sun exposure.
"But it really helps them because it's things that, especially, you know, now they don't tan, now they're very pale. But you can still see in their skin that they have had a lot of exposure to the sun. And you can see it especially in the lower half of their faces," Grafton said.
It may seem counter-intuitive, but the lower part of the face gets more sun exposure. Rays come not only from above, but also from below from reflections off of asphalt, cars, and water.
So, as you head to the beach, remember to wear your sunscreen. Every day counts and the rays are out there wherever you go.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
Stumble It!
Reporting