Of all the conditions which are the focus of such “awareness months,” this is one I take quite seriously. Ten years ago, my oldest sibling, a brother, died at age 62 of metastatic melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer. Three months later, my oldest sister, then 60, was diagnosed with
in situ
squamous cell carcinoma on her leg, another type of skin cancer. Since then she has had three more episodes of skin cancer, all on her legs: two of the squamous cell variety and most recently
in situ
melanoma. Another sister, the second to the youngest of my siblings who is almost two years younger than me, was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma, also found on her legs. (
Metastatic
means that it has spread beyond the original source of the cancer;
in situ
means that it is contained within the original mole or growth).
I am forever vigilant against this disease. In fact, I will be going for what my dermatologist told me is a “punch biopsy” of a suspicious looking mole on my back. “Given your family history, we are not going to take any chances,” she told me after my visit. I have had mole checks nearly every year for more than 20 years, just as a precaution. I am keeping my fingers crossed that my diligence will pay off—if it is cancer, then it will be an early diagnosis, and that is usually good news.
Sharing this story is important because like many people, none of my siblings thought they would get cancer. And you may think it cannot happen to you. Yet, any of us who have been exposed to the sun are at increased risk. If you have a genetic connection, the risk is even higher. We were sun worshippers when we were younger, and each sustained more than five plus blistering burns that put us into the “high risk” category for this type of cancer. We were unaware that the sun could be so damaging so we did not use sun screen back in the day. Today we do our part, using sunscreen, avoiding sun during the hottest parts of the day, covering up when out and going to dermatologists for mole checks.
The frustrating thing about this disease is that even with my oldest sister, who is a nurse and knowledgeable about what to look for, her moles were “atypical” and did not meet the general guidelines of symptom identification: “A, B, C, D, E” (for
A
symmetry, irregular
B
orders, variations in
C
olor, moles larger than 6mm in
D
iameter or larger than the size of a pencil eraser) and
E
volving/changing over time). She had an astute, observant doctor who knew that her moles “were different” than all her other ones and that this was important for the diagnosis and early removal of them.
Just because you don’t have a family history of the disease does not mean you are off the hook. Skin cancer is the most common cancer in the U.S. and is prevalent in Canada, too. Many of you may have worked outside or played in the sun for long periods of time over years in some cases, often without protection. If you have a lot of moles, you may also be at increased risk. So please, see if your state offers free skin cancer screenings this month. You can find out here:
https://www.aad.org/public/spot-skin-cancer/programs/screenings
.
I am here
24/7/365 at 877-884-6227
should you need help with this or anything else.
As always,
Daria
