Photo courtesy of Placer County 

AUBURN, CA (MPG) - Following the Placer County Board of Supervisors’ recent designation of Feb. 4, 2026 as Cancer Prevention Day, the Public Health division is launching a week-long campaign and a free virtual skin cancer prevention webinar to increase awareness and promote preventive measures among residents.

According to the National Cancer Institute, Placer ranks #11 for cancer rates out of California’s 58 counties. Cancer was also identified as one of the top 5 community health needs in the county’s recent Community Health Assessment, contributing to the launch of the Cancer Prevention Program last year.

The program will launch its week-long campaign from Feb. 1-7. Throughout the week, educational posts will be shared on Placer County’s Facebook and Instagram pages, with each day highlighting a cancer that is prevalent within Placer County, including breast, prostate, skin, lung and colon cancer. While this campaign only highlights a few of Placer’s most common cancers, the goal is to increase awareness of each cancer type, highlight common risk factors and emphasize the importance of prevention and early detection.

 “Prevention isn’t always easy because the benefits may not be felt right away,” said Cancer Prevention Program Coordinator Ashley Pen. “Awareness helps bridge that gap by giving people the knowledge they need to understand their cancer risk and take meaningful action to protect their health.”

As part of the campaign, the program will host a free virtual skin cancer prevention presentation on Thursday, Feb. 5 at 6:p.m. Register here. Skin cancer is the most diagnosed cancer in the United States, occurring more frequently than all other cancers combined. With Placer County ranking 5th in California for melanoma rates, increasing awareness about sun safety, early detection and skin cancer prevention is especially important for our community.

To access additional cancer resources, please visit the Cancer Prevention Program’s webpage and sign up for their newsletter.