Goddard Health Center will present a Sun Protection Sooner
Health Hut from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. today outside Dale Hall to
educate students about the risks of sun exposure .

Skin cancer is the most commonly occurring cancer in the United
States but it is one of the most preventable cancers, according to
the Cancer Research Foundation of America.

With this knowledge, students may be interested in stopping by
the hut to learn how to protect themselves from the sun.

“It was never a big deal growing up,” said Tygre
Mendiola, letters sophomore. “My parents told me to wear
sunscreen, but they were never too serious about it.”

Mendiola said she is somewhat cautious about sun exposure.

“I remember one time after I went to the beach I had to
take oatmeal baths due to a horrible burn that caused bad
itching,” Mendiola said. “I really regretted not
wearing enough sunscreen.”

A National Cancer Institute article noted that skin cancer
develops when abnormal skin cells begin to grow and invade other
parts of the body.

The three types of skin cancer are basal cell carcinoma, squamos
cell carcinoma and melanoma, according to the National Cancer
Institute. The skin cancers are separated into two
groups—non-melanoma and melanoma—because they develop
differently.

Many college students know the risks of sun exposure but few of
them are actually taking preventive action, according to the
CRFA.

Melanoma, the most serious type of skin cancer, is most commonly
diagnosed in people aged 25 to 29, according to a Cancer Prevention
and Control article.

Widgett McCullar, University College freshman, said she is aware
of how damaging the sun can be and normally wears an SPF 50
sunblock.

“My aunt used to tan a lot and has had to get skin cancer
removed,” McCullar said. “That was a long time ago and
I would think that the depletion of the ozone layer has increased
the damage the sun can do.”

McCullar said she was badly burned halfway through OU’s
Sept. 4 football game and is still red from it.

“I think it’s very ignorant to go into tanning
beds,” she said. “It’s like paying someone to go
into a lighted coffin and then later paying to reverse the
damage.”

Reed Townsend, University College freshman, said he worked all
summer in the sun digging holes at a nursery.

“I borrowed sunscreen from someone at first, but then I
got really dark and didn’t wear it anymore,” Townsend
said. “I probably needed it for my ears because they got
burned and blistered pretty badly.”

For more information about skin cancer, such as risk factors,
early detection and prevention, call 325-4441 or go to
Goddard’s Web site, at goddard.ou.edu, and visit the health
links about cancer.

Health service hours of operation are from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.,
Monday through Friday.
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