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. 

VIEW RESOURCES

 

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:

Eappen, Wallace Comment to Press-Republican on Upgrades to UVMHN Cancer Care Services

February 6, 2024 by Lucy Gardner Carson

(FEBRUARY 6, 2024) UVM Health Network President and CEO Sunny Eappen, M.D., M.B.A., and UVMHN Radiation Oncology Chair H. James Wallace, M.D., associate professor of radiology at the Larner College of Medicine, commented to the Press-Republican about a new initiative to upgrade cancer care services at network hospitals.

UVMHN President and CEO Sunny Eappen, M.D., M.B.A. (left), and UVMHN Radiation Oncology Chair H. James Wallace, M.D., associate professor of radiology

(FEBRUARY 6, 2024) Sunny Eappen, M.D., M.B.A., president and CEO of the UVM Health Network (UVMHN), and H. James Wallace, M.D., radiation oncology chair at the UVMHN, medical director for cancer clinical programs for the UVM Cancer Center, and associate professor of radiology at the Larner College of Medicine, commented to the (Plattsburgh, N.Y.) Press-Republican about a new initiative to replace and upgrade cancer care technologies and services at network hospitals.

The University of Vermont Health Network is partnering with Varian—a company that specializes in imaging and cancer care technologies and services—on a multiyear strategy to replace and upgrade six state-of-the-art linear accelerators at Central Vermont Medical Center, the University of Vermont Medical Center, Alice Hyde Medical Center, and Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital.

These machines are an important weapon for people requiring radiation therapy, targeting their tumors with pinpoint accuracy while preventing harm to nearby healthy tissue. They are used to treat cancers in numerous areas of the body, including brain, spine, lung, breast, esophagus, stomach, rectum, uterus, prostate, bladder, liver, and bones.

In addition to the new accelerators, a shared patient oncology care planning system and cloud-based software will be installed at the hospitals, allowing health system cancer experts to review patient treatment plans regardless of where in the network a patient receives care.

“The promise of our network lies in the goal that no matter where you live in our region, you will have access to the leading edge academic medical care we provide,” Eappen said. “I am incredibly proud of the team that worked on this plan and I know, when fully implemented, it will make a sizeable difference in the lives of the patients receiving this type of care.”

“These are exciting times for our folks in radiation oncology and for the many communities we serve,” Wallace stated. “Our patients—and their loved ones—are going to see tremendous benefits because of this investment in our teams by the University of Vermont Health Network.”


This news was also reported in the Burlington Free Press.

Read full story at (Plattsburgh, N.Y.) Press-Republican