Florida Hospital Hosts Free Skin Cancer Screenings

VOLUSIA AND FLAGLER COUNTIES, Fla., July 11, 2017 Throughout the month of June, the Florida Hospitals throughout Volusia and Flagler counties hosted free skin cancer screenings. All in all, the hospitals screened 130 patients for skin cancer, of which nearly 30 percent needed follow up care for lesion testing. Skin cancer is the most common cancer in the U.S. and more than 90 percent of all cases are due to overexposure to sunlight. This is one of the reasons Florida has one of the highest rate of melanoma cases [a type of malignant skin cancer] in the nation, said Dr. Sharrell Cooper, Florida Hospital Flagler family medicine physician. By the age of 65, about half of all Americans will experience skin cancer at least once, so despite what many of us think, skin cancer does not just impact the elderly, said Imee Unto, cancer services administrator for the Florida Hospitals in Volusia and Flagler counties. In reality, the average age of patients diagnosed with skin cancer is trending downward on a national scale, dropping from about 50 to 40 years old. Although skin cancer is a highly treatable disease, the best way to fight it is to prevent it altogether. That's why it is so important to take steps to protect yourself, and your children, from the sun, said radiation oncologist Dr. Irfan Munir Ahmed. By the time we are 20 years old, approximately 75 percent of the damage to our skin from the sun has already occurred. This can have far reaching and long lasting impacts as we age. At Florida Hospital Fish Memorial, radiation oncologist Dr. Irfan Munir Ahmed, hospitalist Dr. Ezinne Akamiro, certified physician assistant Sommer Baron, plastic surgeon Dr. James Shoukas, and advanced registered nurse practitioner Ida Bell performed the free screenings. At Florida Hospital Flagler, dermatologist Dr. Mark Cheiken and family medicine physician Dr. Sharrell Cooper performed the free screenings. At Florida Hospital Memorial Medical Center, Ida Bell, advanced registered nurse practitioner at Parks Dermatology Center, as well as Dr. Kris Gray, board-certified family medicine physician and chief medical officer at Florida Hospital Memorial Medical Center. At Florida Hospital New Smyrna, Advanced Dermatology nurse practitioner Kim Hughes performed the free screenings. About Florida Hospital Central Florida Division - North Region A member of Adventist Health System, Florida Hospitals mission is to extend the healing ministry of Christ. Encompassing seven Florida Hospitals in Flagler, Lake and Volusia counties, the Florida Hospital Central Florida Division - North Region is the largest hospital system in the area, with 1,226 beds and more than 7,800 employees. The Florida Hospital Central Florida Division - North Region includes Florida Hospital DeLand in DeLand, Florida Hospital Fish Memorial in Orange City, Florida Hospital Flagler in Palm Coast, Florida Hospital Memorial Medical Center in Daytona Beach, Florida Hospital Oceanside in Ormond Beach, Florida Hospital New Smyrna in New Smyrna Beach, and Florida Hospital Waterman in Tavares. Photo Caption:
DeLand resident Mary Kay Skubal (right) speaks with cancer care nurse navigator Holly Soucy and radiation oncologist Dr. Irfan Munir Ahmed before undergoing her free skin cancer screening.