Those who have reached middle age and beyond can remember when
deep tans were thought to be beautiful and healthy. Back then,
it was not widely recognized that hours spent sunbathing could
increase the risk for skin cancer. It was not until the early 1980s
that public health experts began to advise against tanning as one
important way to reduce the risk of skin cancer. Older Americans
concerned about this condition can learn more about it by visiting NIHSeniorHealth.gov,
a website developed by the National Institutes of Health with
the needs of older people in mind.
Skin cancer is the latest of NIHSeniorHealth?s 32 health topics
of interest to older adults. The new Web feature defines skin cancer,
covers the causes and risks, as well as symptoms, screening and
diagnosis. It also explains treatments and the latest research
on skin cancer. Online quizzes help reinforce the information presented
as Web users explore pages within the skin cancer topic area.
?Skin cancer can manifest itself many years after an initial tan
or burn,? says John E. Niederhuber, M.D., director of the National
Cancer Institute (NCI), a component of NIH. ?Therefore, it is important
for older people to be aware of the risks.? NCI developed the content
for the new skin cancer section of the NIHSeniorHealth website.
One of the fastest growing age groups using the Internet, older
Americans increasingly turn to the World Wide Web for health information.
In fact, 68 percent of wired seniors surf for health and medical
information when they go online.
NIHSeniorHealth is
based on the latest research on cognition and aging. It features
short, easy-to-read segments of information that can be accessed
in a variety of formats, including various large-print type sizes,
open-captioned videos and an audio version. The site also links
to MedlinePlus, the National
Library of Medicine?s premier, more detailed site for consumer
health information.
The NIHSeniorHealth website
is a joint effort of the National Institute on Aging (NIA) and
the National Library of Medicine (NLM) which are components of
the National Institutes of Health.
NIA leads the federal effort supporting and conducting research
on aging and the health and well-being of older people. NLM, the
world's largest library of the health sciences, creates and sponsors
Web-based health information resources for the public and professionals.
NCI, established under the National Cancer Institute Act of 1937,
is the federal government's principal agency for cancer research
and training.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) — The Nation's
Medical Research Agency — includes 27 Institutes and
Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services. It is the primary federal agency for conducting
and supporting basic, clinical and translational medical research,
and it investigates the causes, treatments, and cures for both
common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and
its programs, visit www.nih.gov.