A Call to Action

What exactly is a “Call to Action?”  In the sales world, a Call to Action (or CTA…sales people have to use acronyms) is a word or phrase that urges others to take immediate action, as in “Write now!” “Call now!” or “Click Here!”  It’s the punch line after the sale pitch.

I use CTA phrases all the time in my blogs.  “Wear sunscreen!”  “Get checked!  “Be sun safe!”  Of course, my calls to action do not necessarily result in a prize or reward, but they do attempt to inspire some type of action on the reader’s part with regard to melanoma awareness and sun safety.

The Surgeon General issued a Call to Action today.  His website states that a call to action is “a science-based document to stimulate action nationwide to solve a major public health problem.”  When the Surgeon General issues a CTA, it’s serious.  This is only the 10th^th CTA that the Surgeon General’s office has issued in the 21^st century!  Previous calls to action include preventing suicide, obesity and underage drinking and supporting breast feeding.

Today’s Call to Action is to Prevent Skin Cancer.  I know you’ve read about it.  Its big news in melanoma nation and is being covered by all major news organizations.  (In case you missed it, here's the Executive Summary)  I was fortunate to learn last night about the web broadcast of the Surgeon General’s announcement this morning.  The atmosphere I witnessed was nothing short of electric and optimistic.  I’d never seen nor heard of Rear Admiral Boris Lushniak before, but he made quite an impression.  I expected the acting Surgeon General to be staunch and serious, but he was light-hearted, energetic, and passionate.  He’s the type of person you’d want to be your doctor (he’s a dermatologist).  He’s the type of person for whom you would take action.

All the statistics that I and other melanoma advocates have been spouting for years were presented.  But in this case, it was the Surgeon General conveying that melanoma is on the rise while other cancers are declining.  It was the Surgeon General stating that one person dies from melanoma every hour and 6,000 cases of melanoma a year are attributed to tanning beds.  It was the friggin’ Surgeon General who repeatedly stated that “tan skin is damaged skin.”  And while people have listened to the grass-roots efforts of bloggers and Facebookers, ears were definitely perked today.  News organizations acted like this was breaking news.  The true breaking news is that they are finally listening!

The Surgeon General’s office also had a conference call with “stakeholders” in the afternoon.  I admit that I snuck into this one on a “borrowed” pass.  When I called, I gave my name, and when asked for my “affiliation,” I stated that I am a skin cancer awareness blogger.  I thought for sure I’d be kindly told this was invitation only, but to my surprise, I was in for the listening.  There was no news different than the morning’s announcement, but it was just as exciting.  Rear Admiral Lushniak addressed that many were afraid that the Call to Action would get lost in the pile of hot news stories today.  Ebola virus.  The Gaza Strip.  Ukraine.  However, he was happy to report that his time between the morning’s announcement and the afternoon conference call was packed with requests and interviews.  “We are breaking news and people are hearing our call to action!”

Going back to the Call to Action…what does it mean for me and you?  It means we need to take action.  We have done our part by making people aware of melanoma.  While we should never stop that campaign, it’s now time to take action against melanoma.  Attend a fundraiser.  Write your government representative, whether national or your neighborhood home owner’s association and petition for more umbrellas at the pool.  Encourage the PTA to install shade structures on the playgrounds.  Ask the school board to reconsider their policy on sunscreen use for kids.  Demand local coupon flyers refuse to post tanning salon discounts.  Organize a church or civic event to buy sunscreen for financially-strapped families.  TEACH YOUR CHILDREN! 

Answer the Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Prevent Skin Cancer!

Melanoma: Prevent It!

My name and “the Big C” was mentioned in the same breath about 6 years ago.  I was at the most fun part of my annual physical (smirk) when the physician’s assistant said she felt a large lump on my prostate.  After she let me pull my pants up and limp back to the exam table, she told me that I should see an urologist as soon as possible.  About two weeks later, I visited Mr. Long Fingers and he confirmed the same finding…a big ol’ lump.  He scheduled a biopsy within the next couple of weeks to see what could be found.  After fishing around (literally…it felt like fish hooks), he announced a few weeks later that the results were confusing at best.  He wanted to go fishing again with a bigger pole.  After I submitted double the samples and implanted my finger prints onto the metal exam table, we met again another few weeks later.  The results were negative…thank goodness.  Then he muttered…”but the previous confusing results suggest that you are very high risk for prostate cancer.  I wouldn’t be surprised if you had it when you turn 50.”

I’m 49 now.

When I first entered this phase of my life, I did a lot of online reading about prostate cancer.  I think we all do that when we receive some type of new information.  But after he cleared me and announced my potential for revisiting the fishing-hole exam room, I started to read up on prostate cancer prevention.  What I found was, except for a few supplements or vitamins, the best way to prevent prostate cancer was eat right and exercise more.

Okay…fine.

I can’t say I’ve followed the advice closely.  I’ve tried to eat better and tried to exercise more, but like most other people, I could do better.

But I digress.  My point is there really is no prevention for prostate cancer.  And as I have read a little about other cancers, including breast cancer, the same preventative measures are listed.  Eat right and exercise more.   Cancer in general is just a mystery.  That’s why millions a year are spent on research to find out what causes the disease.  This goes for all cancers…with the possible exception of one.

Melanoma.

There are a variety of possible causes for melanoma, but the one main undeniable cause is exposure to UV radiation.  This includes UV rays from the sun and those obtained in tanning beds/booths.  Does this mean that everyone that uses a tanning bed or sunbathes on the beach will get skin cancer?  No.  Did most people (greater than 3 out of 4) that was diagnosed with melanoma get it from exposure to UV rays?  Yes.  We’re talking 75% of the people that have melanoma today probably would not have it had that done one thing in the past.

Prevented it.

And not from simply eating right and exercising more.  They would have prevented it by avoiding the sun’s ray by wearing protective clothing or sunscreen and by staying the heck away from tanning beds.  Right now, we lose about one melanoma patient an hour…24 per day.  Had the 75% that had melanoma due to UV rays simply avoided it by protecting themselves, 18 people would not have died from the disease today.

There have been great strides in treating various cancers and we hope that one day, there is a cure for all.  But until that day, the best way to remain cancer –free is to not get it at all.  There’s no set rule for most cancer…but for melanoma and skin cancer, there is.  Do yourself a favor by wearing sunscreen and avoiding tanning beds.  You CAN prevent melanoma.