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What CDC is Doing

Download the 2008/2009 Skin Cancer Prevention and Education Initiative Fact Sheet (PDF-1.4MB).

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provides leadership for nationwide efforts to reduce illness and death caused by skin cancer, which is likely the most common form of cancer in the United States. The message of CDC's Skin Cancer Primary Prevention and Education Initiative is clear: When in the sun, seek shade, cover up, get a hat, wear sunglasses, and use sunscreen.

Accomplishments

In December 2005, CDC and a group of skin cancer experts met to discuss common measures of sun protection and tanning behaviors, with an aim of developing a consensus-based set of core items to measure indoor and sunless tanning use. After reaching a consensus, the core measures were cognitively tested and revised. The recommendations were published in the February 2008 edition of the Archives of Dermatology.^{1 2}

Additionally, CDC has worked with other federal agencies and the independent Task Force on Community Preventive Services to review studies of community-based interventions targeting skin cancer prevention. Recommended interventions are published in the Guide to Community Preventive Services.* This publication describes proven strategies that communities can use to plan and implement skin cancer prevention programs.^{3 4 5 6 7}

Finally, CDC has published articles disseminated for the public, health professionals, occupational health workers, and researchers:

• Glanz K, Buller DB, Saraiya M. Reducing ultraviolet radiation exposure among outdoor workers: state of the evidence and recommendations. Environmental Health 2007;6:22.



• Saraiya M, Balluz L, Wen XJ, Joseph DA. Sunburn prevalence among adults—United States, 1999, 2003, and 2004. MMWR 2007;6(21):524–528.



• Glanz K, Halpern A, Saraiya M. Behavioral and community interventions to prevent skin cancer: what works? Archives of Dermatology 2006;2(3):356–360.



• Glanz K, Yaroch AL, Dancel M, Saraiya M, Crane LA, Buller DB, Manne S, O’Riordan DL, Heckman CJ, Hay J, Robinson JK. Measures of sun exposure and sun protection practices for behavioral and epidemiologic research. Archives of Dermatology 2008;144(2):217–222.



• QuickStats: Percentage of teens aged 14–17 years who used indoor tanning devices during the preceding 12 months, by sex and age—United States, 2005. MMWR 2006;55(40):1101.

These and other public health efforts that address skin cancer support CDC's overarching goal of healthy people in every stage of life. They also address the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Healthy People 2010 goals of increasing the proportion of people who use at least one sun-protective measure that may reduce the risk of skin cancer, and reducing the rate of melanoma cancer deaths to 2.5 deaths per 100,000 people.

Ongoing Work

CDC's skin cancer prevention and education efforts include

• Funding cancer programs in nine states to implement skin cancer activities outlined in the states' Comprehensive Cancer Control (CCC) plans, through the National Comprehensive Cancer Control Program. With a total award of $475,000, these states are increasing awareness and educating children and adolescents, as well as establishing school policies based on the recommendations of Guidelines for School Programs to Prevent Skin Cancer (Guidelines). Accomplishments include the development of:
• Sun safety questions incorporated into the state Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS).
• Elementary school education kits to integrate skin cancer education into current classroom lessons.
• Partnerships with the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA), American Cancer Society (ACS), state school nurses' associations, pharmaceutical companies, state CCC coalitions, and dermatological societies.
• Media campaigns.
• Mini-grants to schools for shade shelters.
• A foundation for a sun safety program across several counties in one state to develop curriculum and policies for schools, pools, camps, and beaches.



• Analyzing data collected from a pilot program with three states. The states' education agencies collaborated with the states' departments of health to conduct demonstration projects implementing the Guidelines. Lessons learned for possible replication in other states will be reported to CDC.



• Supporting epidemiologic, behavioral science, and surveillance research efforts designed to expand knowledge about skin cancer prevention and control.



• Promoting and disseminating Shade Planning for America's Schools, (PDF-1.2MB) a manual to help schools create and maintain a physical environment that supports sun safety by ensuring that school grounds have adequate shade.

Future Directions

CDC's skin cancer prevention education initiative plans to:

• Enhance prevention research to identify effective strategies for reducing skin cancer risk.



• Increase support of skin cancer activities described in states' CCC plans. Specifically, CDC's National Comprehensive Cancer Control Program will fund selected states with approved skin cancer activities.



• Promote, disseminate, and support the implementation of the Guidelines for School Programs to Prevent Skin Cancer.



• Continue surveillance on monitoring sun-protective behaviors among the U.S. population.



• Consider the feasibility of a monograph on the descriptive epidemiology of melanomas in the United States.

References

¹Lazovich D, Stryker JE, Mayer JA, Hillhouse J, Dennis LK, Pichon L, Patago S, Heckman C, Olson A, Cokkinides V, Thompson K. Measuring nonsolar tanning behavior. Archives of Dermatology 2008;144(2):225–230.

²Glanz K, Yaroch AL, Dancel M, Saraiya M, Crane LA, Buller DB, Manne S, O’Riordan DL, Heckman CJ, Hay J, Robinson JK. Measures of sun exposure and sun protection practices for behavioral and epidemiologic research. Archives of Dermatology 2008;144(2):217–222.

³Saraiya M, Glanz K, Briss PA, Nichols P, White C, Das D, Smith SJ, Tannor B, Hutchinson AB, Wilson KM, Gandhi N, Lee NC, Rimer B, Coates RC, Kerner JF, Hiatt RA, Buffler P, Rochester P. Interventions to prevent skin cancer by reducing exposure to ultraviolet radiation: a systematic review. American Journal of Preventive Medicine 2004;27(5):482–483.

⁴Glanz K, Buller, DB, Saraiya, M. Reducing ultraviolet radiation exposure among outdoor workers: state of the evidence and recommendations. Environmental Health 2007;6(1):22.

⁵Glanz K, Halpern, AC, Saraiya, M. Behavioral and community interventions to prevent skin cancer: What works? Archives of Dermatology 2006;142(3):356–360.

⁶Glanz K, Saraiya M. Using evidence-based community and behavioral interventions to prevent skin cancer: opportunities and challenges for public health practice. Preventing Chronic Disease 2005;2(2):A03.

⁷Saraiya M, Glanz K, Briss P, Nichols P, White C, Das D; Task Force on Community Preventive Services on Reducing Exposure to Ultraviolet Light. Preventing skin cancer: findings of the Task Force on Community Preventive Services on Reducing Exposure to Ultraviolet Light. MMWR Recommendations and Reports 2003;52(RR-15):1–12.

Please note: Some of these publications are available for download only as *.pdf files. These files require Adobe Acrobat Reader in order to be viewed. Please review the information on downloading and using Acrobat Reader software.

*Links to non-Federal organizations found at this site are provided solely as a service to our users. These links do not constitute an endorsement of these organizations or their programs by CDC or the Federal Government, and none should be inferred. CDC is not responsible for the content of the individual organization Web pages found at these links.