Dublin-Worthington News Stories
February 10, 2021 Virtual Club meeting
By Christie BruffyFriday, February 12, 2021
President Jim Miller opened the morning meeting just after 7:30 as members chatted about the process of scheduling and obtaining the COVID vaccine. This is the 25th meeting of the 46th rotary year. Katie McCartney gave the invocation today- she shared with us that her father passed away 29 years ago on February 9th due to melanoma cancer, which is the topic of today’s presentation. She then led the Pledge of Allegiance.
President-Elect Steve Payerle called for any “Happy Dollar” announcements:
After losing his own son (who was only 26 years old) to melanoma in 1998, Steve Fine took on the important task of educating middle school and high school health teachers and their students about the importance of early self-detection both in the U.S. and abroad. With a Ph.D. in chemistry and a work history with various chemical manufacturers/developers, he began working fulltime in the foundation in 2001.
The current statistics on melanoma are hard to grasp- there are 207,390 projected new cases for 2021, with 25% of those occurring in people under the age of 40. And cases are increasing at an epidemic rate. This cancer is the easiest to cure if caught early. That’s why self-examination on a monthly basis is so important. Once detected, it can easily and painlessly be removed in an out-patient procedure without the need for chemo and radiation.
There are factors that we inherit that can increase our risk for melanoma, such as having light skin/eyes, moles and freckles, and a family history of any kind of cancer. There are other factors that we have more control over, such as preventing blistering sunburns at a young age, sporadic exposure to normally-covered skin and the use of tanning beds. Any skin color can be affected by this cancer, but it can be found more often on the hands and feet of those with darker skin color (Black, Hispanic and Asian).
Self-inspection should be performed monthly to detect the sudden appearance of a new mole or any changes to existing moles such as size, shape, color, texture or thickness- these are all warning signs. Give extra attention to the back and scalp. The window of opportunity to detect and remove this cancer is small- only about 3 months. Over time it can grow vertically into the deeper layers of the skin where it is more invasive. It is advised to visit a dermatologist, first to establish a baseline, and then annually to easily detect changes. Of course, monthly self-checks should coincide with this.
Optimal protection from the sun can be achieved with the use of a good sunscreen that protects against both UVA and UVB rays. Zinc oxide and titanium dioxide are recommended as they are the only all-natural ingredients approved by the FDA. Apply lotions liberally- a full cupped hand if wearing a swimsuit- to achieve 100% effectiveness. To better-protect our noses, ears and lips, consider a stick instead of a lotion for longer-lasting protection that won’t run. For more information and videos, please visit www.skincheck.org.
Click image below to play the video
President Jim Miller brought the meeting to a close at 8:28 a.m. with the recitation of The Four Way test. Next week’s speaker will be Kaye Persinger, Director of the Franklin County Dog Shelter. Join us on Wednesday, February 17 from Noon-1:00 p.m.
President-Elect Steve Payerle called for any “Happy Dollar” announcements:
- Jim Miller was happy that the OSU men’s basketball team is ranked #4 in the conference after their win over Maryland on Feb.8th. This was their 5th win in a row.
- Katie McCartney was glad that her son got a snow day yesterday so that he could catch up on all of the homework he’s been receiving.
- President-Elect Steve Payerle is happy that he is taking a much-needed day off this Friday to escape to his cabin in the woods where he will enjoy some “alone time”. Hope the furnace is working!
- Teresa Russell is happy that we have all of this pretty snow.
- John Butterfield was happy that President-Elect Steve Payerle did such a great job presenting the training session last week to board members and committee chairs. The session focused on using DACdb and a scheduling tool. Thank you Steve! (Steve plans to send out the recording to all members soon)
- Dick Ollila is happy to be able to listen to today’s speaker on the advice of his son, who happens to be a melanoma specialist.
- Katie McCartney announced that the Communications Committee would like to start promoting each of our club’s committees in an effort to obtain more volunteers and chairs that are needed. Current chairs/co-chairs are encouraged to reach out to Katie, or she promises to be in touch soon.
After losing his own son (who was only 26 years old) to melanoma in 1998, Steve Fine took on the important task of educating middle school and high school health teachers and their students about the importance of early self-detection both in the U.S. and abroad. With a Ph.D. in chemistry and a work history with various chemical manufacturers/developers, he began working fulltime in the foundation in 2001.
The current statistics on melanoma are hard to grasp- there are 207,390 projected new cases for 2021, with 25% of those occurring in people under the age of 40. And cases are increasing at an epidemic rate. This cancer is the easiest to cure if caught early. That’s why self-examination on a monthly basis is so important. Once detected, it can easily and painlessly be removed in an out-patient procedure without the need for chemo and radiation.
There are factors that we inherit that can increase our risk for melanoma, such as having light skin/eyes, moles and freckles, and a family history of any kind of cancer. There are other factors that we have more control over, such as preventing blistering sunburns at a young age, sporadic exposure to normally-covered skin and the use of tanning beds. Any skin color can be affected by this cancer, but it can be found more often on the hands and feet of those with darker skin color (Black, Hispanic and Asian).
Self-inspection should be performed monthly to detect the sudden appearance of a new mole or any changes to existing moles such as size, shape, color, texture or thickness- these are all warning signs. Give extra attention to the back and scalp. The window of opportunity to detect and remove this cancer is small- only about 3 months. Over time it can grow vertically into the deeper layers of the skin where it is more invasive. It is advised to visit a dermatologist, first to establish a baseline, and then annually to easily detect changes. Of course, monthly self-checks should coincide with this.
Optimal protection from the sun can be achieved with the use of a good sunscreen that protects against both UVA and UVB rays. Zinc oxide and titanium dioxide are recommended as they are the only all-natural ingredients approved by the FDA. Apply lotions liberally- a full cupped hand if wearing a swimsuit- to achieve 100% effectiveness. To better-protect our noses, ears and lips, consider a stick instead of a lotion for longer-lasting protection that won’t run. For more information and videos, please visit www.skincheck.org.
Click image below to play the video
President Jim Miller brought the meeting to a close at 8:28 a.m. with the recitation of The Four Way test. Next week’s speaker will be Kaye Persinger, Director of the Franklin County Dog Shelter. Join us on Wednesday, February 17 from Noon-1:00 p.m.