Over a million cases of non-melanoma skin cancer are diagnosed every year in the United States. Among those who are developing skin cancer at higher rates are adults. This fact seems a bit out of line to me; as a mother I am constantly slathering my kids in sunblock. I carry a tube in my purse and diaper bag, another tube lives in my car and there are several containers sprinkled throughout our house. Sunblock is not just a summertime accessory, it is a year-round necessity.

As mentioned by Brian White on our sister site, That's Fit, a recent study revealed that adults in some states are more negligent than in others. I was a bit surprised to learn that Utah is the worst culprit when it comes to sunburns, while Kentucky ranks in the bottom 10 states. I thought the beach states or the higher-altitude states like Colorado would rank higher. But regardless of rank, the fact that adult sunburns are the rise is alarming. Prevention is so easy and painless, the consequences too harsh. By simply donning a wide-brimmed hat, wearing longer sleeves, applying sunscreen, and not playing in the sun during the prime exposure hours between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., sunburns can be significantly reduced.

Where does the time go? Even though most of us have been experiencing the height of the summer season in the form of a nationwide scorcher of a heat wave, summer is almost over for school kids and teens leaving for college. Yes, in less than a month, it's back to school. There are advertisements everywhere you look for new school supplies and new school clothes. In preparation for the new school season, Duke Health has published Back to School Tips for Healthy Eating.

The experts say it is not about counting fat grams and calories but portion control and choices. According to pediatrician Dr. Terrill Bravender, "You don't have to be obsessive about it. If you generally eat healthy, there is room for some foods that aren't as healthy."

Dr. Bravender offers these basic common sense tips:

• Involve kids in lunchbox planning. If you let them make some choices about what goes into their lunchbox, they are more likely to eat it.
• Avoid the peanut butter and jelly rut. Nothing wrong with the traditional, but try new foods. Make it a food adventure.
• While everyone is still on summer break, encourage children to prepare their own lunch. Dr. Bravender suggests easy-to-make ideas like graham crackers with peanut butter and a glass of milk; fresh fruit with cheese cubes; a hard boiled egg with whole grain crackers; yogurt with a sliced banana; granola bars with milk; or tortilla chips and bean dip made without hydrogenated oils.
  

Ultimately, as the mother, what foods come in to the home are my choosing, so I try to make nutritious choices in food purchases. But I have found great success over the years by taking my kids to the grocery store with me, and allowing them to choose between several choices I offer. We also take a look at new foods, and talk about the food item. We read ingredients. Some we decide, by group vote, to bring home and try. During the growing seasons, they are with me when I stop at a roadside stand to buy local produce straight from the field, and each year we have an annual tradition of blueberry picking enough blueberries to last most of the year ahead. Food can be fun, and learning about good food a lifetime benefit in cancer prevention.

Sunscreen products containing Mexoryl SX or ecamsule, an ingredient designed to block the sun's harmful UVA rays, have been sold in Canada and Europe for over ten years, but have not been available here.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recently approved the over-the-counter sale of L'Oreal Anthelios SX sunscreen product containing ecamsule to consumers in the US.

While UVB rays are known to cause sunburn, UVA rays penetrate deeper into the skin and are associated with an increased risk for basal and squamous cell cancers and melanoma skin cancer. Anthelios SX is made by the French cosmetics company L'Oreal. Mexoryl SX is owned by L'Oreal, and is only available in L'Oreal products.

Sunscreens might provide some protection from the harmful rays of the sun, and should be used when going out in the sun. Still your best bet is to shade yourself when spending any length of time in the sun and staying out of the sun during the peak hours of 10 AM to 4 PM when sun can cause the most skin damage.

Breakthrough Breast Cancer, UK's leading charity committed to fighting breast cancer through research and education, has hands down and without argument, some of the best fundraising campaigns around. They are fun and innovative and trendy. In a recently announced fundraiser, they are inviting gardeners with a "passion for digging, sowing and cultivating their gardens" to host a garden party for friends to raise money for cancer charity -- or to sell cuttings from the garden and donate the proceeds to cancer charity.

According to Breakthrough, Linda Clegg from Keighley, West Yorkshire has been using her garden to raise money for Breakthrough since 2000, she says: "When my friend Norma called to say she had been diagnosed with breast cancer it was a huge shock. She really impressed me when she told me months later, that she had become a £1,000 Challenger. Little did I guess that I too would be diagnosed with breast cancer and subsequently have been bitten by the bug to raise funds for Breakthrough's research."

"It was difficult during my six months of chemotherapy, but my husband was a tower of strength through it all. When I look back now some very positive things to came out of that dreadful time."

Now in its 15th year, Breakthrough's £1,000 Challenge is the charity's longest-running, fundraising campaign. Once a fundraiser reaches the £1,000 target, Challengers can honor someone they love by having their name permanently displayed on the £1,000 Challengers' Wall, at the Breakthrough Breast Cancer Research Centre. Over 5,000 supporters have become Challengers so far, and to date have raised over £12 million.

The Breakthrough Breast Cancer green-fingered gardening challenge certainly isn't the only fundraiser they have launched. To find out more, go here. Not only can you sign up to participate in existing fundraisers, it's quite possible learning about what people are doing to raise money for cancer research and services will inspire you to original ideas of your own.

It's Fourth of July weekend, and this year is a long one! Traditionally, celebrations for the Fourth of July include picnics, camping, boating, hiking, backyard barbeques, free concerts in the park, a stroll by the river, a day at the beach. Basically, most activities this weekend involve being outdoors enjoying good times and the warm summer sun.

Before you, friends and family head out the door, here is a sampling of posts we have done about spending time in the sun -- skin cancer facts -- and tips on practicing sun safety.

• Skin cancer prevention kits for kids.
• Shading kids from the sun.
• Pediatricians need to educate parents about sun exposure risks.
  

• Skin cancer myths debunked by dermatologists.
• Global warming skin cancer warning.
  

And the sun, with the right exposure, is not all bad.

• Vitamin D: sunshine as cancer prevention.
  

For a complete listing of the posts regarding skin cancer and sun safety, visit The Cancer Blog's melanoma and skin cancer categories. The Fourth of July is a great time for celebration of our freedoms and all the wonderful warmth and brightness of summer days. Enjoy! every minute but be sun-wise and sun safe.

It's almost summer. Who wants to be stuck inside, in the kitchen, toiling away over the stove. The backyard barbeque is the obvious solution to enjoying the good weather and feeding the hungry troops. The National Foundation for Cancer Research, NFCR, features a new cancer prevention recipe each month, and this month it is Grilled Herbed Vegetables. Most vegetables offer cancer prevention, but when you think power-packed cancer prevention vegetables, think color. The richer the color, the more nutrients. With little preparation, grilling vegetables are easy, and a healthy addition, to the backyard barbeque dinner.

According to NFCR, all you need to do is toss and coat vegetables -- that have been cut into bite-sized chunks -- with a little olive oil, garlic, fresh basil and sea salt. Or you can add sprigs of rosemary. Place the vegetables on heavy-duty aluminum foil, seal the foil to form a packet, and place on the grill rack directly over medium-hot heat about ten minutes, turn packet over and grill another 10 minutes, or until vegetables are tender. Some of the vegetables you might want to include are asparagus; broccoli; carrots; cherry tomatoes; corn on the cob; eggplant; mushrooms; red onion wedges; sliced yellow, red, or green sweet pepper; hot peppers; squash; and/or zucchini.