DUSA Pharmaceuticals Inc., an integrated dermatology pharmaceutical company based in Wilmington, Massachusetts, has introduced its Teeing Off Against Sun Damage campaign. This campaign will focus on educating consumers about the importance of protecting their skin from the sun’s harmful rays and about a precancerous skin condition called actinic keratoses (AKs).

DUSA will be exhibiting at various PGA Champions Tour golf events this year to speak with golf fans across the country about the importance of protecting their skin while out in the sun and the hazards associated with sun damage. In support of this effort, DUSA has partnered with Hal Sutton, 14-time PGA champion, who will be visiting the exhibit booth at various Tour events and will be discussing with avid golf fans and others about the importance of sun protection and understanding sun damage.

“If you’re like me and you spend a lot of time out in the sun, it’s important to protect your skin and understand how to recognize when you may have damage from sun exposure,” said Sutton. “This is why I have teamed up with DUSA as part of the Teeing Off Against Sun Damage campaign, to raise awareness about AKs and the importance of taking care of your skin while out in the sun.”

“At DUSA we are committed to educating the public about sun protection and the consequences of damage from the sun, including the potential for development of actinic keratosis, which is a skin condition that is not well-recognized by the general public,” said Bill O’Dell, executive vice president of sales & marketing at DUSA. “While much information has been disseminated about melanoma and other forms of skin cancer, we believe that it is important to increase knowledge about AKs, which have the potential to advance to squamous cell carcinoma. The goals of this campaign are to educate people regarding the importance of protecting their skin from sun damage and help them develop an understanding of AKs so that they can seek the advice of a dermatologist to learn what they can do to minimize the potential for developing actinic keratoses.”

The Teeing Off Against Sun Damage campaign will include 10 golf tournaments throughout 2012 in which Hal Sutton will be playing and helping DUSA spread the word about AK awareness. At each of the tournaments listed below, Hal and representatives of DUSA will be speaking about properly protecting the skin from the sun’s harmful UV rays and they will share information about recognizing the signs of AKs, which form over time as a result of cumulative sun damage.

Often called “sun spots,” AKs are rough-textured, dry, scaly patches on the skin that are caused by excessive exposure to ultraviolet light (UV) such as sunlight and have the potential to progress to squamous cell carcinoma (SCC)—the second most common skin cancer. They occur most often on the face, scalp and ears. They can range in colour from skin toned to reddish brown. They can be as small as a pinhead or larger than a quarter. While most AKs remain benign, approximately 10 per cent develop into SCC within an average of two years. Since there is no way to know ahead of time which ones will become cancerous, it is very important to seek a dermatologist’s care. Frequent skin examinations are the key to early detection and prevention. Up to 58 million people in the United States have AKs.