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Press Release: Free Cancer Screenings at New York Harbor Healthcare System
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DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS
New York Harbor Healthcare System
800 Poly Place
Brooklyn, NY 11209
718-836-6600 x2804
Fax 718-630-2840
Contact: John R. Mazzulla |
BROOKLYN, NY, May 3, 2006 ---- Free skin cancer screenings will be held on Saturday, May 6, 2006, from 9:00 AM until 1:00 PM in Clinic Pod A, Ambulatory Care Center, at the Brooklyn, VA Medical Center.
"The screening-- free to veterans and non-veterans alike --- is sponsored by the VA, SUNY-Downstate, American Academy of Dermatology, the American Cancer Society and the Brooklyn Dermatological Society," states Michael Simberkoff MD, VA Chief of Staff. "May is the month designated for National Melanoma/Skin Cancer Detection and Prevention".
Less than one third of Americans currently examine their skin for signs of melanoma and more than half don't know signs of melanoma, a recent survey commissioned by the Academy showed. Dermatologists want to change this because when treated early, melanoma can be cured. "The key to the successful treatment of most types of cancer is early detection and treatment," said Dr. Alapati, Chief of the Dermatology Service at the VA hospital. "With melanoma, early detection is easy because the signs are visible on the skin."
The screenings are part of a national campaign to encourage early detection and teach prevention of skin cancer, the most common form of cancer in this country. "Both basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma have a better that 95% cure rate if detected and treated early," stated Dr. Alapati. About one million new cases of skin cancer will be diagnosed in the United States this year. Skin self-examinations consist of periodically looking over your body for changes in the size, color, shape or texture of a mole, the development of a new mole or any other unusual changes in the skin. Any of these changes should be reported to a doctor right away.
Brooklyn VA Medical Center, the American Academy of Dermatology and SUNY- Downstate staff invite the public to take advantage of the free screenings on Saturday, May 6th from 9:00 AM until 1:00 PM in Clinic Pod A, Ambulatory Care Center at the Brooklyn VA Medical Center, 800 Poly Place in Brooklyn. For more information, call (718) 630-3725.
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