Frisco ISD parent and nurse Lori Cathey was first diagnosed with melanoma when she was in her 20s. Ten years later, the cancer had spread to her lymph nodes. Now in remission for about four years, she is taking action to encourage prevention at a younger age.
In January, Cathey made a presentation to the Frisco ISD board of trustees about a skin cancer prevention policy she said she would like to see implemented throughout the district.
Cathey drafted this policy after she took a course at Chamberlain College of Nursing that taught her how to write, pitch and help implement health care policies.
Since her presentation, FISD leaders have started to encourage school principals to allow students to bring hats and sunglasses to school to wear outside for protection.
According to the Texas Education Code, students may possess and use a topical sunscreen while on school property to avoid overexposure to the sun.
Cathey—who has two daughters that have attended FISD schools—said the peak hours of sunlight exposure are between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.
“Students spend the majority of that time in school, and it’s imperative that the schools take measures to implement sun protection, and it’s just a basic right to wear sunscreen, sunglasses and hats,” Cathey said.
“[Ultraviolet] rays cause damage to our skin’s DNA, so a tan is the first sign of skin damage,” Cathey said.
“Sunburns on youth greatly increase the risk of melanoma later in life.”
Melanoma is a cancer of the skin and about 90 percent of melanoma cases can be linked to exposure to UV rays from natural or artificial sources, such as sunlight and indoor tanning beds, according to the Melanoma Research Foundation.
According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, melanoma is the second most diagnosed cancer in ages 15-29.
“People think of cancer as being an older person’s disease most of the time, but melanoma is becoming more of a young person’s cancer,” Cathey said.
Cathey said it has been estimated that 75 percent of all skin cancers could have been prevented by raising children’s and teenagers’ awareness of sun protection measures.
“It’s definitely on the rise in today’s youth, and more than half of a person’s lifetime exposure to [UV] rays typically occurs during childhood and adolescence,” Cathey said. “Encouraging students to develop these sun protective behaviors, that’s one way we can, as community and school district, develop habits to prevent skin cancer.”
Cathey said it is her hope to use FISD as an example to state lawmakers, with the goal of making this policy mandatory statewide in school districts.
View a map of local health care providers
According to the Texas Education Code, students may possess and use a topical sunscreen while on school property to avoid overexposure to the sun.
Cathey—who has two daughters that have attended FISD schools—said the peak hours of sunlight exposure are between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.
“Students spend the majority of that time in school, and it’s imperative that the schools take measures to implement sun protection, and it’s just a basic right to wear sunscreen, sunglasses and hats,” Cathey said.
“[Ultraviolet] rays cause damage to our skin’s DNA, so a tan is the first sign of skin damage,” Cathey said.
“Sunburns on youth greatly increase the risk of melanoma later in life.”
Melanoma is a cancer of the skin and about 90 percent of melanoma cases can be linked to exposure to UV rays from natural or artificial sources, such as sunlight and indoor tanning beds, according to the Melanoma Research Foundation.
According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, melanoma is the second most diagnosed cancer in ages 15-29.
“People think of cancer as being an older person’s disease most of the time, but melanoma is becoming more of a young person’s cancer,” Cathey said.
Cathey said it has been estimated that 75 percent of all skin cancers could have been prevented by raising children’s and teenagers’ awareness of sun protection measures.
“It’s definitely on the rise in today’s youth, and more than half of a person’s lifetime exposure to [UV] rays typically occurs during childhood and adolescence,” Cathey said. “Encouraging students to develop these sun protective behaviors, that’s one way we can, as community and school district, develop habits to prevent skin cancer.”
Cathey said it is her hope to use FISD as an example to state lawmakers, with the goal of making this policy mandatory statewide in school districts.
View a map of local health care providers
