Pre-prom skin cancer awareness event brings attention to dangers of tanning

Experts will offer tips on looking great for prom – without tanning

Mercy Medical Center’s Hall-Perrine Cancer Center is hosting a pre-prom skin cancer awareness event from 2 to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 28, aimed at keeping young people out of the sun and away from tanning booths, especially as prom season nears.

This pre-prom event will include hair, makeup and sunless tanning tips from industry experts, as well as a fashion show highlighting the latest styles in dresses and tuxedos.  Participants may also browse and shop at a vendor fair.

Additionally, two local skin cancer survivors will participate in a panel discussion as they share their own stories about the dangers of sun exposure and tanning. Vincent Reid, MD, medical director of Hall-Perrine Cancer Center, and Mohammed Milhem, MD, deputy director for clinical cancer services at Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, will share information, as well.

According to the American Cancer Society, skin cancer, or melanoma, is the most common of all cancers. More than 75,000 new cases are diagnosed each year, with more than 9,000 deaths annually. The rates of melanoma have been rising for at least 30 years.  People who use tanning beds before the age of 35 increase their chances of getting skin cancer by nearly 60 percent.

To register for the pre-prom event at the Hall-Perrine Cancer Center on Feb. 28, please call (319) 365-4673; text (319) 213-4134; or email: srhutchcroft@mercycare.org.