BOSTON - With New England summer in full swing, the Dana-Farber Brigham Cancer Center is encouraging everyone to stay safe during the warm weather with its Sun Safety/Skin Cancer Prevention Program.
The Sun Safety program works to reduce the incidence of skin cancer in Massachusetts by offering free prevention education and free skin cancer screenings to the public in Dana-Farber's Blum Family Resource Center Van. All screenings are performed by a board-certified Brigham and Women's Hospital dermatologist on board the van.
The program uses the mobile van to bring these free resources to communities around Boston. This initiative especially targets populations in Massachusetts with a high prevalence and/or incidence of skin cancer, including beachgoers as well as those with higher mortality rates—individuals of color.
"We want Boston area residents to be active and enjoy the summer months, said Sabrina G. González, Sr. Community Outreach Specialist, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. "But we also want all communities to have access to the educational resources and skin cancer screening services that help people to remain safe and protected."
The mobile van is a 39-foot custom-designed vehicle that has a 15-seat classroom and a fully equipped exam room for free skin cancer screenings.
"We want to help you have fun this summer while still protecting yourself from harmful UV rays," said Vinod E. Nambudiri, MD, MBA, Associate Physician at Brigham and Women's Hospital, Department of Dermatology, and Assistant Professor at Harvard Medical School. "The key to successfully treating skin cancer is early detection, which is why we're thrilled to offer these resources to the community directly."
The summer 2022 schedule for the mobile van is now available online and below:
- Thursday, July 7 from 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. at DCR Revere Beach
- Monday, July 18 from 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. at DCR Carson Beach
- Friday, July 29 from 11:00 am – 3:00 p.m. at Nantasket Beach
- Monday August 1 from 10:00am - 2:00 p.m. at Nahant
- Friday, August 12 from 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. at DCR Wollaston Beach
- Thursday, August 18 from 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. at DCR Revere Beach
- Wednesday, August 22, 11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m., at DCR Carson Beach
