Public Health & Cancer Awareness

CANCER PREVENTION

Experts believe that up to 50% of cancers can be prevented. That’s because certain daily habits can make us more likely to get cancer. Changing these habits may help prevent cancer.

5 lifestyle changes that may reduce your cancer risk:

  • Quit smoking (802quits.org is Vermont's tobacco cessation resource. ). 
  • Make healthy food choices.
  • Get regular checkups & screenings.
  • Stay active.
  • Protect your skin with sun safe behaviors.

LEARN MORE

 

COLORECTAL CANCER AWARENESS

With regular screening, almost all colorectal cancer can be prevented. If you are 45 or older, please talk to your doctor about screening options. 

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SKIN CANCER AWARENESS: "BE SUN SAFE" 

Did you know that Vermont has the second highest incident rate of melanoma in the U.S.?
May is skin cancer awareness month and by limiting sun exposure you can reduce your skin cancer risk.
Three Prevention Tips:

  1. Cover up. Wear wide-brimmed hats, sun-protective clothing and sunglasses.
  2. Stay indoors between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. or seek shade.
  3. Wear sunscreen, with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 30 or higher.

Early detection promotes successful treatment, talk to your doctor about your screening options. 

Summer Safety Tips: Find some simple health and safety tips for summertime activities.

Something New Under The Sun: Learn about the signs of melanoma.

9 Things I'd Never Do As A Dermatologist: Summer's coming. How many of these ski 'don'ts' do you do?

 

PROSTATE CANCER AWARENESS MONTH

Prostate cancer is the second most common type of cancer. UVM Cancer Center clinical member, Shahid Ahmed, MD, MBBS, a medical oncologist specializes in cancers of the urinary system and the reproductive organs in men and provides an overview of diagnosis and tips to manage treatment side effects in this Healthsource article. 

READ ARTICLE

 

BREAST CANCER AWARENESS

Women's Health and Cancer Conference: View recordings of presentations and panels about surgical options, survivorship, integrative care, palliative care, and breakthrough advances in the research.

Breast Cancer Portfolio: Learn more about the UVM Cancer Center's research, education, community outreach, and clinical care related to breast cancer.

Clinical Trials: See what clinical trials are being offered related to breast cancer.

Genetic Testing for Cancer and Risk Assessment: Learn about the team of clinicians who provide genetic screening and risk assessment.

Screening Guidelines: The American Cancer Society recommends these screening guidelines. 

Breast Cancer Screening: Reach out to your primary care provider or the Breast Care Center if you are due for a screening.

Support Services: There are many resources for patients in treatment or patients who have completed their treatment, including support groups and the popular Steps to Wellness class. 

 

LUNG CANCER AWARENESS: "GET CHECKED, IT CAN SAVE YOUR LIFE"

Lung Cancer Public Health Campaign. The UVM Cancer Center teamed up with Dartmouth Cancer Center and Vermonters Taking Action Against Cancer to encourage more Vermonters to get screened for lung cancer. When detected early, local tumors can be removed which increases the patient's survival rate from 24% to 60%.

Learn more about:

  • Guidelines
  • Screening locations in Vermont
  • Eligibility requirements

VIEW CAMPAIGN

Lung Cancer Research. Learn more about the Cunniff lab's promising new therapy for mesothelioma and metastatic cancer, which is currently a Phase I clinical trial. 

Clinical Trials: See what clinical trials are being offered related to lung cancer.

News Headlines:

Holcombe Notes Clinical Trials Awareness Day in WCAX Interview

May 20, 2024 by Lucy Gardner Carson

(MAY 20, 2024) Randall Holcombe, M.D., M.B.A., director of the UVM Cancer Center, spoke with WCAX-TV about the more than 100 clinical trials the Cancer Center is currently running.

Randall Holcombe, M.D., M.B.A., professor of medicine, chief of the Division of Hematology/Oncology, and director of the UVM Cancer Center

(MAY 20, 2024) Randall Holcombe, M.D., M.B.A., professor of medicine, chief of the Division of Hematology/Oncology, and director of the UVM Cancer Center, spoke with WCAX-TV about the more than 100 clinical trials the Cancer Center is currently running.

May 20 is Clinical Trials Awareness Day, an opportunity for medical professionals to educate the public on what’s out there they can participate in, and to dispel myths and misinformation. Doctors at the UVM Medical Center are working to fight cancer and participants in the dozens of clinical trials under way there can help.

The University of Vermont Cancer Center is currently running more than 100 different trials. They range from supportive care trials, like testing new types of anti-nausea medications, to treatment trials where they test new ways to try to treat and cure patients with cancer.

Holcombe says there are always risks with any kind of treatment related to cancer. But he says all of the Cancer Center’s trials have been rigorously reviewed by either the National Cancer Institute or the Food and Drug Administration to ensure that they are of the highest quality. And he says patient safety is a top priority.

“So patients, when they enroll in a clinical trial, can be sure that they’re getting what we feel is the best care available. And they may actually be getting care that future patients may be getting 10 years from now. So it may be an opportunity to get some new therapies,” Holcombe said.

Read full story at WCAX-TV