You may think you understand melanoma…that you are “aware”
of melanoma. I’d be willing to bet that
most folks feel this way because a “friend/relative had a melanoma removed by a
dermatologist, which left a big scar. He
seems to be okay now.” If this is your
case, you are not aware of melanoma. Are
you aware that your friend/relative has a 30% chance of melanoma returning, and
probably to a more serious level of cancer?
Are you aware that melanoma KILLS one American every hour on
average? Are you aware that melanoma is
the MOST COMMON cancer for young adults age 25 to 29? Knowing these facts is only the first step of awareness. To be truly aware, you need to understand the
PDE of Melanoma…Prevention, Detection and Elimination.
Prevention
Melanoma is statistically and medically linked to UV
radiation. While exposure to these rays
is not the only cause for melanoma, it is a primary factor in 86% of all
melanoma cases, and one that’s very preventable. The general rules to protect you from UV rays
are:
·
Wear sunscreen.
Use an SPF of 30. Remember that
no sunscreen is waterproof or sweat proof, so reapply every 2 hours! And make sure to apply A LOT of sunscreen…a
small dab will simply not do.
·
Wear protective clothing. While long sleeves and long pants are not
comfortable in the hot summer, there is clothing that provides a UV protection
factor (UPF). Search for UPF Clothing on
Google to find various suppliers such as UVSkinz and Coolibar.
·
Wear a hat.
Make it a floppy or wide-brimmed hat to protect the entire head and neck
from all angles. A baseball cap will
help, but make sure to cover the neck and ears with sunscreen!
·
Wear sunglasses with proper UV protection. Melanoma can occur in places besides the
skin, such as the eyes. Were you aware
of that?
·
Stay in the shade! When visiting a pool or beach, find an
umbrella. At the park? Sit under a tree or shelter. Don’t shun the sun, but seek shade to protect
your skin.
·
Stay out of the sun during peak hours. The sun is at its brightest (therefore emits
the most UV rays) between 10AM and 4PM.
One rule of thumb…if your shadow is shorter than your height, the sun’s
rays are at its most intense. Try to do
outdoor activities in the morning or late afternoon.
·
Avoid tanning salons at all costs. Tanning beds emit the most harmful UV rays at
higher doses. There are no true health
benefits to tanning beds despite what the tanning industry might claim. Read here for more info about “healthy claims”
of tanning salons.
As stated, not all melanoma can be attributed to UV
radiation. There is evidence that
melanoma can be linked to family history.
For uncontrollable risk factors, please check this link. Knowledge of your risk factors is as much
prevention as sunscreen.
Detection
This is probably the most important factor of melanoma
awareness. Are you aware that you’d have
a survival rate of 97% if your dermatologist found melanoma on you at Stage 1
or 0? Those are pretty good odds of
survival. But are you aware that your
survival rate plummets to a frightening 15% or lower when diagnosed at Stage 4?
Schedule yourself for an annual full body skin exam with a
dermatologist who specializing in skin cancer and melanoma. And I mean FULL body check. As I stated before, melanoma may be found in
places other than those tanning locations like the back and legs. I have friends who have found melanoma on the
soles of their feet, their scalp, their finger or toe nails and even their
genitals.
Besides the annual skin exam, perform a self-exam every
month. Check for spots and moles per the
following ABCDE guidelines:
A – Asymmetry. A normal mole should be symmetric in that one
side looks like the other.
B – Border. A mole’s border should be smooth and not
jagged.
C – Color. Check that your mole’s color is a light
brown, or at least consistent with other moles on your body.
D – Diameter. A normal mole’s diameter is less than the
diameter of a pencil eraser.
E – Evolving. A mole that changes in size, color or shape,
or starts to bleed, needs to be looked at by a dermatologist.
Make sure you check your entire body and use a hand
mirror. It’s also not a bad idea to have
someone help you out.
Remember that early detection is key, and perhaps the most
important factor of melanoma awareness.
Elimination
It wasn’t long ago that a diagnosis of late-stage melanoma
was a death sentence. However, there
have been incredible strides in the last couple years on melanoma
treatment. New drugs and therapies have
been approved by the FDA, and more appear to be on the horizon. But we have a long way to go.
Are you aware that of the seven most common cancers,
melanoma is the only one whose incidence continues to increase annually? Did you know over 76,000 new cases of
melanoma will be diagnosed this year, and that over 9,400 people will died of
melanoma in 2013? Despite the recent
advances, we have a long way to go to find a cure to eliminate this cancer.
All cancer research needs money, and melanoma research is
vastly under-funded compared to other cancers.
You can help raise funds by attending a fund-raiser. Organizations such as AIM at Melanoma
and the Melanoma Research Foundation hold walks in cities around the country
throughout the year. Other organizations
hold pub crawls, wine tastings, concerts and many other events in an effort to
raise money for melanoma research and awareness. Check out this link to discover an event nearyou! Your awareness and efforts will
help to eliminate melanoma
So now you know…now you know that melanoma is more than a
scar on a friend/relative’s back. It’s a
cancer to be taken very seriously and one for which the entire country needs to
be aware. Share this blog post and
enlighten others. Share your awareness
on how to prevent melanoma. Share your
awareness on how to important early detection is to fight off melanoma. And share your time and awareness to help
find a cure and eliminate this awful disease.
Be aware.
(Primary source of data to support this piece: Skin Cancer Foundation)
