The weather may be getting colder, but the sun still shines brightly on most days in New Mexico. And exposure to the sun’s ultraviolet rays can cause up to 90 percent of skin cancers.
New Mexico has only about half the dermatologists it needs, so The University of New Mexico Department of Dermatology and the UNM Comprehensive Cancer Center are teaming up to offer free skin cancer screening events around the state.
“It’s challenging for some New Mexicans to get to Albuquerque for a skin cancer screening,” says John Durkin, MD, FAAD. “So, we’re bringing the skin cancer screenings to the people of our state.”
The events are important, says Durkin, because regular skin cancer screenings can help identify spots that are potentially cancerous. Screenings can also provide reassurance when spots appear to be noncancerous.
The next event will take place in Carlsbad on Nov. 11 from 11 am to 1 pm at the Pecos River Village Conference Center, 711 Muscatel Ave., Carlsbad, New Mexico 88220.
The event is free and open to the public. No appointments or referrals to a dermatologist are needed to get a screening, and everyone arriving during event hours will be seen.
Free skin cancer screening events are planned throughout the state. In addition to this event in Carlsbad, events are planned for Taos in February 2024, Las Vegas in April 2024, and Albuquerque and Rio Rancho in May 2024.
For more information about these events, please visit the UNM Dermatology Website: https://hsc.unm.edu/medicine/departments/dermatology/community-initiatives-alumni/
John Durkin, MD, MBA, FAAD, UNM assistant professor of Dermatology, leads these skin cancer screening events throughout the state.
For interviews, please contact Michele Sequeira or Jeffrey Tucker.
# # #.UNM Comprehensive Cancer Center
The University of New Mexico Comprehensive Cancer Center is the Official Cancer Center of New Mexico and the only National Cancer Institute-designated Cancer Center in a 500-mile radius.
Its more than 136 board-certified oncology specialty physicians include cancer surgeons in every specialty (abdominal, thoracic, bone and soft tissue, neurosurgery, genitourinary, gynecology, and head and neck cancers), adult and pediatric hematologists/medical oncologists, gynecologic oncologists, and radiation oncologists. They, along with more than 600 other cancer healthcare professionals (nurses, pharmacists, nutritionists, navigators, psychologists and social workers), provide treatment to 65% of New Mexico’s cancer patients from all across the state and partner with community health systems statewide to provide cancer care closer to home. They treated almost 15,000 patients in more than 100,000 ambulatory clinic visits in addition to in-patient hospitalizations at UNM Hospital.
A total of nearly 1,855 patients participated in cancer clinical trials testing new cancer treatments that include tests of novel cancer prevention strategies and cancer genome sequencing.
The more than 123 cancer research scientists affiliated with the UNMCCC were awarded $38.2 million in federal and private grants and contracts for cancer research projects. Since 2015, they have published nearly 1000 manuscripts, and promoting economic development, they filed 136 new patents and launched 10 new biotechnology start-up companies.
Finally, the physicians, scientists and staff have provided education and training experiences to more than 500 high school, undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral fellowship students in cancer research and cancer health care delivery.
