DAVENPORT,  Iowa - April 9, 2015 -- The most common form of cancer also is one of the most treatable and preventable, but if left untreated, skin cancer can be deadly.

May is National Melanoma and Skin Cancer Detection and Prevention Month and Quad Cities residents are being urged to take advantage of a free skin cancer screening.  The screening will be held from 8-10 a.m. on Saturday, May 2 at the Genesis Cancer Care Institute, located at Genesis Medical Center, 1401 West Central Park Ave.

The screening is for people who have not previously had a screening for skin cancer.  Dermatologists John Bovenmeyer, M.D., Paula Giudici, M.D., Manish Kumar, M.D., Jill Lightfoot, M.D., Susan Perry, M.D., and Nicole Luszczyk, Physician Assistant, will be conducting the screening.  Appointments are required and should be made by going to http://tinyurl.com/qyburno and continue as a guest.  You may also call (563) 421-1955  and leave a message.

Participants should use the atrium entrance located on the West Central Park Ave. side of the hospital to attend the screening.  All cosmetics on the skin should be removed prior to screening.  Participants may choose to have sun-exposed areas such as arms, legs and the face evaluated, or can receive a full-body screen if they  wear a swim suit under clothing.

The annual free screening is offered by Genesis and dermatologists in the region to increase public awareness about malignant melanoma and other skin cancers.  Malignant melanoma is the most serious form of skin cancer.  Once malignant melanoma has spread to other parts of the body, the cancer can be deadly.  This cancer will cause an estimated 13,340 deaths this year.  Melanoma accounts for less than 2% of all skin cancer cases, but the vast majority of skin cancer deaths.

Skin cancers are highly curable if detected and treated in the earliest stages.

It is important for patients to recognize changes on their skin and to have their skin examined on a regular basis by their health care provider.

If you have any of the following symptoms, tell your doctor:

• Any change on the skin, especially in the size or color of a mole or other darkly pigmented growth or spot, or a new growth.

• Scaliness, oozing, bleeding, or change in the appearance of a bump or nodule

• The spread of pigmentation beyond its border such as dark coloring that spreads past the edge of a mole or mark

• A change in sensation, itchiness, tenderness, or pain

Risk factors for non-melanoma and melanoma skin cancers include :

• Unprotected and/or excessive exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation

• Fair complexion

• Occupational exposures to coal tar, pitch, creosote, arsenic compounds, or radium

• Family history

• Multiple or atypical moles

• Severe sunburns as a child

The best ways to lower the risk of non-melanoma skin cancer are to avoid intense sunlight for long periods of time and to practice sun safety.  You can continue to exercise and enjoy the outdoors while practicing sun safety at the same time.

Scott County Health Department joins the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) in a new effort focused on improving human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination rates among Iowa's teens and pre-teens. Among adolescents aged 11 to 18, 66 percent have received the Tdap vaccine that protects against tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis; by comparison, only 19 percent have received the three doses of HPV vaccine recommended for full protection.  In Scott County, 16 percent of 13 through 15 year olds have received three doses of the HPV vaccine, which protects against cervical cancer.

The "You are the Key" campaign targets parents, the decision-makers when it comes to vaccinating their children. "About 79 million Americans are currently infected with HPV. About 14 million people become newly infected each year," said Scott County Health Department's Clinical Services Coordinator Roma Taylor. "In most cases, HPV infection will go away and the individual will never know they had it; however, when HPV does not go away, it can cause a variety of cancers, including cervical cancer. Parents are encouraged to take action now to protect their child against a cancer that can be prevented with a simple vaccination."

Approximately 33,000 HPV-associated cancers occur annually in the U.S., including 12,600 HPV-associated cancers in males. The HPV vaccine protects against the most common types of human papillomavirus, which are responsible for approximately 90 percent of cervical cancers. Cancer often takes years to develop after a person is infected with HPV and an infected individual can spread the virus even when they have no signs or symptoms. The HPV vaccine works best when given in early adolescence, as it allows for immunity to develop and offer better protection as a child matures. Both boys and girls are recommended to receive three doses of vaccine for full protection.

If you have an adolescent that has not received the HPV vaccine, talk to your healthcare provider about how it can benefit your child. For more information on the HPV vaccine, visit http://bit.ly/1yrhxU0

For more information about Scott County Health Department, visit http://www.scottcountyiowa.com/health/.

3 Reasons A Fitness and Wellness Regimen Can Empower Women
Celebrity Trainer Holly Perkins Says Women Should Look Great To Please Themselves, Not Others

From an early age, women have foisted on them images of the "ideal" female body, and self-esteem can plummet when they fail to measure up.

But celebrity trainer Holly Perkins says it's time women stop buying into those societal pressures.

"There's this perception that all women need to look like perfect runway models," says Perkins, a leading national weight-loss expert. "They can feel the anxiety building when they are trying to meet someone else's expectations. That's when the effort to lose weight or get fit can add to the stresses of life instead of relieving them."

Certainly, women should want to improve their health, get fit and look gorgeous all at the same time, says Perkins, who recently released a home-exercise system designed specifically for women called baladea (www.baladea.com), with regimens she developed to fuse fitness and wellness exercises.

But getting in shape needs to be something women want for themselves, and not an effort to mimic some airbrushed image on a magazine cover at the supermarket, she says.

Perkins realized several years ago that her clients met their weight-loss goals faster when she created programs that addressed both their fitness and wellness needs at the same time.

They also felt happier about themselves. So she incorporated yoga and other stress-relieving and relaxation techniques into the baladea program.

Perkins offers three reasons why the right fitness and wellness regimen can empower women and emancipate them from society's image pressures:

•  Because looking good makes you feel good. That's especially true when you're trying to look good to please yourself and not others, Perkins says. "There's this sense of empowerment when you exercise, eat a healthier diet and lose weight because it's what you want and not because of peer pressure or societal pressures," she says.

Self-esteem rises when you improve your image on your terms, she says, and as a result "looking gorgeous never felt better."

•  Because the science says so. Research shows that stress can keep you from losing weight and might even cause you to add pounds. Even if you eat well and exercise, an excessive amount of stress can counteract all your efforts. That's why meshing fitness and wellness works so well, Perkins says.

"Stress reduction and relaxation can significantly improve weight loss," she says. "That allows you to look and feel your absolute best."

•  Because while improving your look, you also become healthier. You will feel amazing not just because of elevated self-esteem, but because your body really is functioning better because of the diet and exercise, Perkins says. Your energy level will rise and "you will feel ready for anything," she says.

"You can look awesome and you can feel happy at the same time," Perkins says. "It's all about letting your true self shine."

About Holly Perkins

Holly Perkins is a national fitness expert and developer of baladea (www.baladea.com), a customizable fitness and wellness system for women. She holds a bachelor's degree in Exercise Physiology and is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS), one of the most prestigious certifications in the industry. She believes that making fitness a fun lifestyle is the best way to achieve true change. As one of the nation's leading weight-loss experts and a highly sought-after celebrity trainer, she has been featured in numerous magazines, newspapers and on national TV shows.

Monday, April 6, 2015 - 2pm until 7pm

Fellowship Hall, 333 W Lotte St, Blue Grass, Iowa

www.bloodcenter.org