Most Americans still don't know about the early signs of one of the most common types of skin cancer. That's why 3M Pharmaceuticals is partnering with local medical institutions to raise awareness about actinic keratosis, or AK. Dermatologists from Mount Sinai School of Medicine, SUNY-Brooklyn, St. Luke's Roosevelt Hospital and New York Medical College will provide free skin cancer screenings and information at the TD Waterhouse Cup tennis championship on the following dates: Aug. 16, noon to 6 p.m.; Aug. 17, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Aug. 18, 4 p.m. to 10 p.m.; Aug. 19 and Aug. 21, 3 p.m. to 9 p.m.; Aug. 23, noon to 6 p.m.; and Aug. 24, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The screenings will be held at the 3M Pharmaceuticals booth in the Exhibitor's Village area at the Hamlet Golf and Country Club in Commack, Long Island.
Caused by cumulative sun exposure, AK is very common affecting more than 10 million Americans. AK appears as rough, red, scaly patches, crusts or sores on the top layer of the skin, and many people are ignoring these warning signs. Left untreated, AK may progress to squamous cell carcinoma, the second leading cause of skin cancer deaths in the United States. At least 40 percent of squamous cell carcinomas begin as AK. Because AK may take years to develop, the condition usually first appears in older people -- although cases have been reported in people in their 40s and 50s.
Sponsored by 3M Pharmaceuticals, the skin cancer screening event at the TD Waterhouse Cup will offer practical information about AK and skin cancer -- how to recognize skin cancer, how to prevent it, and what to do about it. The screening event is part of 3M's new educational initiative to benefit dermatology residency programs and local communities through a national skin cancer screening effort.
About the TD Waterhouse Cup
The TD Waterhouse Cup is Long Island's premier sporting event. An International Series Event on the ATP, the TD Waterhouse Cup, in its 22nd year, offers the finest men's tennis played anywhere in the world. Held one week before the U.S. Open, the TD Waterhouse Cup brings the top players in men's professional tennis to compete for the championship trophy. This year's players include French Open champion and #1 ranked Juan Carlos Ferrero, German superstar Tommy Haas, 2002 TD Waterhouse Cup champion and Thai sensation Paradorn Srichaphan, New York's own James Blake, rising star Jan-Michael Gambill and Chilean phenom Fernando Gonzalez, among other world-class stars. More than 40,000 people attended the tournament in 2002.
About 3M
3M Health Care, the largest of 3M's seven business segments, serves medical, dental, pharmaceutical and personal care markets. 3M Pharmaceuticals, a division of 3M Health Care, develops, manufactures and sells branded prescription drug products related to dermatology and other medical specialties. 3M currently is developing a portfolio of products based on its immune response modifier (IRM) technology, which works by stimulating the immune system to recognize and respond to virus infections and tumors in the skin. Additional information is available at www.3M.com/pharma.
3M is a $16 billion diversified technology company with leading positions in consumer and office; display and graphics; electronics and telecommunications; health care; industrial; safety, security and protection services; transportation and other businesses. Headquartered in St. Paul, Minnesota, the company has operations in more than 60 countries and serves customers in nearly 200 countries. 3M is one of the 30 stocks that make up the Dow Jones Industrial Average and also is a component of the Standard & Poor's 500 Index. For more information about 3M, go to www.3M.com/profile/pressbox/index.jhtml.
KPRMaureen Kiggins, 212-856-8430or3M, St. PaulDiane Kwiatkowski, 651-733-7853orJohn Cornwell, 651-733-7698
