How did you find melanoma on the bottom of your foot?

March 1, 2012 in Blogpost with 2 Comments

If I had a $ for every person who asked me how I found ‘it’, well….you can finish the sentence.

While giving myself a home pedicure in January, 2010; I noticed something on the bottom of my foot.  I had never seen it before, and thought to myself, “Hmmmm, that’s different”.  It was just a new mole, I have had them before.  However, I thought this was an unusual location.

My strong interest in early detection of skin cancer began when everyone, and I mean everyone, I came across would ask me this question:  “How did you find it?”  Of course, not everyone does their own pedicures.  Also, some people do not have the flexibility or the eyesight to see the bottom of their feet.  I attack this problem in the Skin Cancer Self-Exam workbook.

People don’t think to look for skin cancer on the bottom of their feet or between their toes, because it is a popular myth that we only get skin cancer on areas that are exposed to the sun. However, I was still surprised and alarmed by how many people asked the question.  Is it no wonder that melanomas found at the bottom of the feet or between the toes has a 52% survival rate? No one looks there, and, therefore, the cancer has time to grow before being seen.  Early detection is the key!

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Tell us your story; I have received many personal skin cancer stories since launching this website.

February 27, 2012 in Blogpost with 3 Comments

Thank you all for sharing, as it encourages the continuation of this website and the mission to reach as many people as possible about the early detection and prevention of skin and breast cancer.

 

 

Here are just a few of the many personal messages I  have received:

“I just went to a memorial yesterday from a lady who died of cancer that started from a bad sun burn. She was a beloved teacher in her 50s.”

“Thanks for this! I lost my father to the ravages of skin cancer.”

“My daughter had melanoma on her back when she was in college a number of years ago. Luckily it was caught before it spread! Thanks for sharing this very important information.”

“My neighbor had it on his heel and it spread. Stage 3 now and he is about 45. Can you post the link to your page on my wall Kathleen? I will share it!!”

“We all know that men can and do develop breast cancer and with at least two men in my office who have had melanomas removed, I plan to share this with everyone in my office.”

“I scratched the itchy place inside my ear canal for a year before my wife convinced me to have it checked out. Fortunately, it was only a squamous cell carcinoma, surgically removed.”

Thank you all for your stories!  Please tell us your story in the comment section below; it helps us all. 

 

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Myth: If I put sunscreen on the kids in the morning, it protects them all day if they do not get wet.

February 25, 2012 in Blogpost with 2 Comments

Used by permission by Hana’s dad, DJ Menasco

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Doesn’t this picture make your heart leap with joy?  We should all be able to enjoy the sun and play in the water.  My nephew’s daughter, Hana, is expressing what so many of us feel at the beach.  Total fun!

According to The Skin Cancer Foundation,  vacations near the water have been linked to a five percent increase in small moles (≤ 2 mm) in children. We are born without moles (other than birthmarks), and they tend to be acquired during childhood. Because an increase in the number of moles means a higher risk of developing melanoma, these increases in children are a cause for concern.

Sunscreen should be applied one-half hour before going outside, which gives it time to absorb.  Sunscreen tends to be broken down over time by the sun, and rubbed or washed off with sweating and water exposure, therefore, it should be reapplied at least every two hours outdoors.  It should also be reapplied immediately after swimming or heavy sweating. At least one ounce (two tablespoons) is needed to cover the entire body surface.

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Why is breast cancer included in a website about skin cancer?

February 25, 2012 in Blogpost with 0 Comments

 

SAMPLE PAGE from Skin Cancer Self-Exam e-book; Right Breast

 

In 2009, Drs. Lua and Tsao, of the Wellman Center for Photomedicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, found that patients with either breast cancer or melanoma were almost four times more likely to develop the other malignancy. They concluded that after a diagnosis of melanoma, the lymph nodes near the breast should be monitored.  They found that instructing patients to examine this area routinely could lead to earlier detection of breast cancer metastases.

Their research of a study group of over 500,000 breast cancer patients found that there may be a 29 percent increased risk for melanoma in breast cancer patients.  Higher-risk still were breast cancer patients age 50 or younger, who had a 46 percent higher risk of melanoma after breast cancer. The Skin Cancer Foundation (www.skincancer.org)

We are our first line of defense for early detection of skin and breast cancer.  Monthly self-examinations are widely held as imperative for breast cancer and melanoma cancer patients to perform between doctor visits.  American Cancer Society (www.cancer.org)

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“I have too many moles on my back to keep track of, so I just give up”

February 24, 2012 in Blogpost with 0 Comments

SAMPLE PAGE from ebook: Back of Torso

Many times there are parts on our body where we find many, many moles.  It seems overwhelming to keep track of them, much less monitor them for changes during our monthly full body skin exams.  In the workbook, there are pages to zoom in on these areas to add your notations.  Here is a section taken from the above page and enlarged for help with mole-mapping multiple moles/lesions on the upper back:

SAMPLE PAGE from e-book; zoom in on upper back

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Myth: Darkly pigmented skin is a natural protector from sun damage, so I don’t have to worry about skin cancer.

February 23, 2012 in Blogpost with 0 Comments

“People with brown skin often have a false sense of security when it comes to skin cancer. We tend to believe that our darker skin exempts us from this potential danger.”
via Ethnic Skin Care.

I was visiting with a friend who said, in fun, that because she is Hispanic, she was born with a tan. She said that she was born with protection against the sun. She does not think she needs sunscreen.

Unfortunately for many people of color, this is a prevalent belief.  According to the American Cancer Society, having darkly pigmented skin lowers the risk of melanoma in the chest, back and legs, neck and face, but, half of all melanomas in African Americans, for example, are found on the palms of the hands, soles of the feet and under the nails.

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I have a friend who has had skin cancer. Can I give this as a gift?

February 18, 2012 in Blogpost with 0 Comments

You can give this as a gift by adding a mirror, pencil and ruler

I have had people ask me what they can do for their friends who have been diagnosed with skin cancer, and who need to do their own self-exam between doctor visits.  Whether they are on a quarterly, bi-annual or annual schedule with their dermatologist, they need to be doing their monthly self exams in-between appointments.
Here is how you can give them a great gift.  You can download the e-book to your computer, print it and then three-hole punch the paper.  The e-book pages are in landscape.  Hole punch the paper at the top of the front page of the landscaped document as it is facing you.  Buy a three ring binder with a holder inside the front flap.  Also buy a hand mirror, pencil with eraser, and a ruler with millimeters (all regular rulers have this).  Put the three items in the flap of the notebook, as shown in the picture, and there you have it!
Your friend will be very touched by your care for them, I am sure.  I would have loved to have had someone care enough to provide me a way to do my monthly self-exam.  The monthly self-exam will be a life-long occurance for your friend.  You will be making it easier for them as well as helping to give them peace of mind that if the cancer comes back, will be caught early.
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