Women’s Health Center of Excellence Update

July/August 2002, Issue 35

5th Annual Excellence Triathlon - Great Success!

With outstanding sponsors, 100 volunteers and 290 participants, we raised over $13,000 for family violence awareness, education and prevention programs. On Saturday, May 25, the New Faith Ensemble of Emmanuel Baptist Church filled the stadium with The National Anthem to start off the race. Special thanks to the Reynolda campus, all volunteers, sponsors, spectators and crew. Stay tuned for details on next year's race.

Applications for Teen Advisory Board

The WHCoE is accepting applications from teens to serve on the Teen Advisory Board for 2002-2003. Young women and men from Forsyth County serve on the Board for one year and receive a stipend of $50 for attending quarterly meetings. The Board discusses women's health issues and plans events for area teens. For more information or to request an application, please contact the WHCoE at 713-4220. Applications are due July 12, 2002.

Final Pregnancy Series Class in July

Don’t miss the last class in the Pregnancy Series, co-sponsored by the Women’s Health Center and ActionHealth.

July 8, 2002, Noon, Sticht Center Auditorium – “Commonly Asked Questions About Pregnancy” with Dr. Mac Ernest. Any questions to be discussed in the class should be e-mailed to Gretchen Bayne (gbayne@wfubmc.edu) by July 1. To register, please call the ActionHealth Wellness Line at 716-2578.

Lean on Me: Breast Cancer Support Group for African-American Women

This 8-week session will provide a short-term education and support group designed specifically to meet the needs of African-American women newly diagnosed with breast cancer. Weekly sessions begin Tuesday, June 25, 2002, 6:30pm -8:00pm at the Women’s Center. For more information, contact Marla at 713-4396. Support provided through the Women’s Health Center Multidisciplinary Breast Clinic and The NC Triad Affiliate of the Komen Foundation.

Women’s Health Seminar Series

September 10, 2002 – “Update on the Women’s Health Initiative,” presented by Sally Shumaker, PhD, Professor, Dept. of Public Health Sciences, and Associate Dean of Faculty Affairs and Career Development, WFU.

October 1, 2002 – “Breast Cancer Treatment and Quality of Life: Studies in Premature Menopause and Lymphedema,” presented by Jeanne A. Petrek, M.D., Director, Surgical Program, The Lauder Breast Center, Memorial Sloan Kettering.

Seminars are held at Noon in the Sticht Center Auditorium, Sticht Center, Ground floor. Lunch is provided. For questions or directions, contact the Women’s Health Center at 713-4220.

New feature

Turn over for a new feature of the Women’s Center Newsletter. Each month will feature an article on a health topic. This month’s focus is Skin Cancer. Take the quiz to determine your risk!

PROTECT YOURSELF FROM SKIN CANCER

Skin cancer is the most common cancer in the United States. In fact, one of every five people in the US will get skin cancer. Melanoma is the most serious form of skin cancer and causes 75 percent of skin cancer deaths. Unfortunately, there will be approximately 53,600 new cases of melanoma diagnosed this year. To protect yourself and family this summer:

· Stay out of the sun during the heat of the day (10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.) when the sun’s rays are strongest.

· Before you go outdoors, apply a sunscreen of 15 SPF or higher. Remember your lips, hairline, and ears.

· Wear a hat, shirt, and long pants or skirt to protect your skin.

· Watch out for reflected sunlight from sand, cement, water, and snow.

· Don’t use tanning beds, reflectors, sunlamps, or tanning acceleration lotions.

The National Cancer Institute (NCI) and the American Academy of Dermatology (ADD) recommend performing a skin self-exam once a month to detect skin changes. When performing the self-exam, examine all areas of skin, including hard-to-see areas such as the genitals, buttocks, scalp, and back and look for:

· NEW skin markings (e.g., moles, blemishes, colorations, bumps)

· Moles that have CHANGED their size, texture, color, or shape

· Moles or lesions that won’t heal or continue to bleed

· Moles with ragged edges, differences in coloration, or lack of symmetry

Keep these tips in mind:

· Benign skin cancers are usually found on sun exposed areas such as the face, neck, and lower legs and are

usually small, symmetrical, and a single shade of brown.

· Malignant skin cancers are most frequently found on the backs of legs in women, or the backs of men, and tend

to be larger than a pencil eraser and have two or more colors as well as uneven edges.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Want to know your risk for skin cancer?

Answer the following questions. Then, total your score to determine your risk.

1. What is your natural (untanned) skin color?	Fair (2)	Medium (1)	Dark (0)
2. What is your eye color?	Blue/Green (2)		Dark Brown (0)
3. What is your natural hair color?	Blond/Red (2)	Brown (1)	Dark Brown (0)
4. Have any blood relatives had skin cancer?		Yes (1)	No (0)
5. As a child (<18) did you spend a lot of time outdoors?		Yes (1)	No (0)
6. Prior to age 18, how many sunburns did you have that blistered or peeled?	Two +(2)	One (1)	None (0)
7. Do you get a tan if you spend a 1-2 week period outdoors?	None (2)	Slight (1)	Dark (0)
8. Do you work in a job where you are outdoors (at least one or two hours a day)?		Yes (1)	No (0)
9. Do you spend a lot of leisure time outdoors, either all year or just in spring and summer?		Yes (1)	No (0)
10. Do you work in a job where you are exposed to things like tar, soot, creosote, asphalt, or paraffins?		Yes (1)	No (0)
TOTAL SCORE 0-3 Low Risk 4-9 Moderate Risk 10-15 High Risk

If you experience any skin changes, talk to your doctor. For more information on skin cancer, please contact the Skin Cancer Foundation at 1-800-SKIN-490 or access their web site at www.skincancer.org. To learn more about skin cancer and other diseases that affect women and what you can do to prevent them visit us at the Women’s Health Resource Center at 2000 West First Street, Piedmont Plaza II, 1^st Floor. We’re open 8-5 Monday to Friday.