Q. Isn't melanoma just
a fancy word for skin cancer and aren't all skin cancers the same?
A. One of the common misperceptions about melanoma is that it is
"just another skin cancer." Far from it. Melanoma is the deadliest
form of skin cancer. Most people that die from skin cancer die from melanoma.
One reason it is so deadly is that it is very aggressive. In fact, melanoma
is likely to kill you if not diagnosed at an early stage.
Another misperception is that melanoma just stays on the skin and it is merely a blotch or mole that should eventually be removed. Not only does melanoma leave the skin by traveling through your bloodstream, it will attack vital organs like your lungs and your brain. Once melanoma travels to other areas of your body, the traditional treatments (radiation, chemotherapy, surgery) rarely work. After it has spread (metastasizes), melanoma kills almost nine out of every 10 victims.
Victims of melanoma include the daughter of former President Ronald Reagan (Maureen Reagan), musician Bob Marley and actor Burgess Meredith.
Q. Am I at risk?
A. Melanoma affects people of all ages, all races, all economic
levels and both sexes. However, people who are fair-skinned, or who have
a large number of moles or freckles, are at greater risk of this disease.
Exposure to ultraviolet light, such as that in sunlight or light from
tanning beds, is also a risk factor for melanoma.
Q. How common is it?
A. There are more
than 51,000 cases of melanoma every year in the United States, but although
melanoma accounts for only 4 percent of all skin cancers, it causes approximately
79 percent of skin cancer deaths. About 7,800 Americans die of this disease
every year.The overall incidence of melanoma is rising at an alarming
rate. In 2001, at current rates one in 71 Americans have a lifetime risk
of developing melanoma, a 2000% increase from 1930.
Q. Ok, so what should
I do?
A. If caught early
melanoma is highly curable. You
can catch it early if you check your skin regularily. Please visit the
self-exam page on our site
and absolutely seek qualified medical help if you see anything suspicious
on your skin. Regular dermatological checkups are also highly recommended.
(Above statistics are from HealthScoutNews and The American Academy of Dermatology)
Tiffany was an avid sport bike enthusiast and on her site (sportbikegirl.com) she had a section devoted to her battle with Melanoma. Below are excerpts from her page "Melanoma and Me":
"But you look good though"
I hear that ALOT! And it often irritates me even though the person meant well. How exactly should a cancer sufferer/patient look? Should we be....old, pale, skinny and clinging to death??
I was diagnosed February 4th 1999 with Stage 3 Level 4 Melanoma of the right leg. Two major operations were needed to cut-out the cancer cell's within two weeks of each other. Then a centinel blue node biopsie came back positive for spreading to my Groin lymphnodes. The cancer is now in my blood stream and stands the chance of spreading to my organs unless the chemo did it's job.
At 23 years old, I have been diagnosed with STAGE III Malignant Cancer. Melanoma as the doctors call it, the skin cancer that kills. 8000 Americans will get diagnosed with it each year and a few thousand of them will die from it, ranging from ages of 22 to 75 years old. In my stage of progression I stand a 40% chance of long term survival according to the books I have read. So now ask yourself, How much do you need that tan? Is that really worth dying over?
Why you ask:
Part of why Melanoma is THE fastest growing cancer in America is because of the depletion of the Ozone layer. Which blocks out the harmful UVB ray's that give us skin cancers. Now a day's the sun is much stronger than once thought, and even tho you can't see sun damage with the naked eye, I promise you it is there! Sun spots, wrinkles and freckles are all signs of sun damage. I reccomend seeing a qualified Dermatologist so get a once over on your skin condition, and these doctors are qualified to make diagnosis' in regards to skin cancers. Even in your daily activities sunblock is necessary, perhaps wearing a brimmed hat while washing the car or sitting on the porch sipping iced tea. It is the little things that can do so much. Stay covered up in the sun more as apposed to just letting it all hang out, that is why you need to come to terms that a tan isn't all it's cracked up to be!
I never laid out in the sun nor did I use tanning facilities. What I have wasn't directly sun related but rather, bad luck. I had a mole on my leg that was undetected for too long, thus resulting in cancer. It wasn't my fault but since I choose to turn this negative into a positive I am creating more awareness for this dreaded disease.
Chemo Therapy:
Recently I had a port put into my shoulder to administer chemo therapy. I took many drugs intravenously and in extremely high doses. Only 9 places in the country are allowed by the FDA to administer these dosages. To name a few they were Interlucan II, Interfeuron and many others that made me critically ill. 6 blood transfusions, 3 bags of platelets and 13 weeks in and out of the hospital made my life a little hectic. Not to mention flying while ill sucked. Especially since airplanes are the breeding ground for infections due to lack of proper fresh air flow.
For 12 months I did a chemo-treatment called Interfeuron. Interfeuron is a bodily produced antibody that helps fight off disease. For the first 30 day's I was hooked up to an I.V for HIGH DOSE treatment where I dropped 15 lbs and never ate a solid meal. Following that, I did my own injections 3 day's a week at home. I was put onto this drug to help my body fight even harder to get rid of the ever present cancer cells that still linger in my blood stream. The side affects were hell, and sticking myself with a needle sucked! But I did what I had to and I'd do it again if necessary.
The ABCD's of checking your moles
A- Assemetry: Normal moles are perfectly round and of normal size.
B-Border: Normal moles have a clean border around them. Bad one's have a scaly spread out looking border.
C-Color: Brown and Black are usually normal. Red, and mixes of colors are BAD and should be immediately checked by a dermatologist.
D-Diameter: Anything larger than a pencil eraser should be removed to prevent unnecessary worries later.
Here is what I experienced while taking Intron A interfeuron-
All patients receiving INTRON® A experienced mild-to-moderate side
effects. Some patients experienced more severe side effects, including
neutropenia, fatigue, myalgia, headache, fever, chills, and increased
SGOT. Other frequently occurring side effects were nausea, vomiting, depression,
alopecia, diarrhea, and thrombocytopenia. DEPRESSION AND SUICIDAL BEHAVIOR,
INCLUDING SUICIDAL IDEATION, SUICIDAL ATTEMPTS, AND COMPLETED SUICIDES,
HAVE BEEN REPORTED IN ASSOCIATION WITH TREATMENT WITH ALFA INTERFERONS,
INCLUDING INTRON A THERAPY.
