There was a post on msn.com entitled 6 Things Dermatologists Wish We Knew About Skin Cancer. The article is a good read, with stats that give valid reasons why we need to make sure that we see a dermatologist for those annual skin checks.
The obvious risk factors are mentioned – you used tanning beds, or you have fair skin, or had some severe sunburns in your past. But did you know that if you have a family member with melanoma, you are 50% more likely to develop melanoma yourself? Discussing health issues is sometimes not an easy thing for families; but it is important to know if your long-lost aunt had a melanoma lesion removed at some point in her life. People who are adopted have the hardest time trying to piece together a family health assessment, and those are the ones who I feel for the most. But sometimes, even with no family history of melanoma, you can develop it. Like I said before, there is absolutely no history of melanoma in my family – despite our very fair complexions. How I became an anomaly is still a mystery.
Also, being dark-skinned doesn’t give you a pass from melanoma. Yes, your skin coloring provides some protection, but not nearly as much as you may think. Dark complexions don’t even provide an SPF of 15! Although some of my friends don’t like wearing sunscreen because it makes them ashy, I’ve been extra nagging lately. You see, survival rates for Caucasians with melanoma (regardless of what type), hovers around 90%. But dark-skinned people have a survival rate of only 75%, a difference attributed to the fact that most melanomas are not caught early in this group. And we all know that once melanoma spreads, it’s pretty aggressive.
And finally, if you have atypical moles – like those I was recently diagnosed with – you are 12x more likely to develop melanoma. That last one gives me the willies actually, especially since I have an atypical spot already being monitored. I’m grateful my amelanotic melanoma was caught early; but I am concerned at times that there are rogue cells floating around in my body. Getting another melanoma diagnosis would likely mean real invasive surgery plus the knowledge that I really haven’t beaten this thing… and I’m just fine without going through that.
I guess what I’m trying to say is that it’s important to be aware of the risks and make sure that you keep to a schedule of annual skin checks. And now that the weather is getting nicer in the northern hemisphere, get in the habit of putting on sunscreen everyday (I know my readers in the southern hemisphere probably already are in the habit, with that hole in the ozone nestled there)…