NFR: Please don't put off a trip to a dermatologist for a skin cancer screening. Being a...

M

michael-in-phoenix

Well-known member
...white person of northern european descent, and having spent all of my life in the southwestern US, I am at high risk for skin cancer.

I also spent many years sporting a nice sun tan in my younger days. All this adds up to the necessity of keeping a diligent eye towards any skin issues that may arise.

I had two pre-cancerous patches of skin treated yesterday and this is the second time this has been necessary. It is a minor inconvenience at this point because it was caught early.

Early detection is very, very critical!

Please don't put off an exam. It's not expensive, and many insurances cover it. It's worth the peace of mind it brings.

Thanks for listening,

Michael

 
Let me strongly second M's sage advice-I just had my full-body skin screening 2/19/10. Also, folks,

PLEASE have all other recommended annual checkups. True story==>

An acquaintance of mine died from skin melanoma some years back--Amy was a mere 39 years of age. Her MDs originally thought she had breast cancer due to a lump she had noticed and gone to the doctor about, but after many tests it eventually turned out that her breast lump had metastasised from a melanoma skin lesion found in her vagina! Amy hadn't bothered to have a PAP & pelvic exam since the birth of her 3rd child who was 7 at the time of Amy's diagnosis.

And don't ignore eye checks and the dentist! Melanoma can also form, i.e., grow, in the eye.

I am a two-time cancer survivor--colon cancer in 1993 and thyroid cancer in 2004. I had no history of EITHER of those cancers anywhere in my family medical charts.

It was through routine annual physical exams that symptoms were noted by my PCP which led to addtional testing that detected both my cancers. For the colon cancer my only symptom was fatigue--at 43 years of age, I was feeling unduly tired and I also flunked my annual hemoccult test that year so my doctor ordered blood work, and I turned out to be severely anemic. After finding that out, Dr. Rau promptly sent me to a GI doctor for a colonoscopy to determine what was causing my blood loss, and a tumor of invasive adenocarcinoma was detected. The very next afternoon I was wheeled into the OR to have that tumor removed.

About 10 years later during my annual physical a nodule was detected on my thyroid gland, but it was so small that I could never feel it. My family doctor noted it and immediately sent me to an endocrinologist who ran tests that came back saying I had papillary carcinoma of the thyroid gland. Both cancers were found early and were localized.

As Michael said: Early detection is very, very critical. Yours truly here is living proof of that wise statement!

We all spend money doing preventive car maintenance. Your body is more important than your vehicle! Thanks for reading/listening.

Wigs aka Caryn

 
Wow, that's a compelling endorsement. I regularly have skin screenings because

I have had precancerous lesions myself. Partly due to my fair skin, and also due to past summers as a camp counselor (pre-sunscreen days) where we all would actually get red (and I mean red) sunburns on our noses and we didn't really think anything of it.

I hate the heat, and have avoided the sun ever since, but those few years back in college really did some damage. Last month I had 7 spots "frozen" on my face (thank goodness for make-up!). Just beware of any rough, sandpaper-like spots that don't go away, especially on your face.

 
That's what I had. They're not hard to spot. I paid cash and my doc gave me...

...a good price since he didn't have to bill insurance and got paid right away.

Don't hesitate!

Michael

 
Screenings are so important - Giada De Laurentiis lost her brother to Melanoma at 30 years old and

my own DH had precancerous lesion removed from his face ... he is so fair and must be really careful.

 
Called my dermatologist today...

but couldn't get in until May 13. The snowbirds have arrived, so they are sooooooo busy.

 
I disagree... they ARE hard to spot! The blend right in with freckles and

other light brown pigmentations on the skin. Mine weren't even colored - just rough spots (Actinic Keratosis(es)).

Hope you're doing better soon - they take about a week to completely heal (with me, anyway).

 
I call that The Mole Patrol! Everyone in my family have had a skin cancer of one kind

or another, myself included. I go as regularly as I can and haven't sat in the sun for six years but still have a lot of skin damage, oh well! Even with SPF 70 I still burn in minutes so I'm a big proponent of the vampire pale look!

My aunt's melanoma on her leg was aggressive, went from a small spot to a mickle size in under a month. They removed an orange sized piece and got it all. Six months later she got an aggressive form of breast cancer. Her doctors told her of a strong correlation between melanoma followed by breast cancer. She's fine now, happily.

So do have your mole patrol and don't let them forget your scalp, back of neck and ears. And your SPF 10,000!!

 
Don't forget the sunscreen (COL for my fav) --I burn so easy I refer to myself as combustible...

was just planning on booking a recheck with the dr this week. I'm high risk due to very fair skin and many childhood sunburns, one that was 2nd and 3rd degree - that one was the last time (highschool) I ever laid out at the beach!

Then 2 yrs ago I bought a convertible not thinking about sunburns. Doh! So that sent me on the hunt for the best sunscreen I could find. I've tried everything from what the dermatologist gave me, to the fancy Euro ones and every single brand in the drugstore. Then I read an article by a derm who recommended this one (see link). I only found it online but it was so cheap I thought both "what the heck" and expected the worst...instead this is the best stuff ever! It is 1) not sticky 2) didn't feel like you skin was covered in plastic and is clear. It also comes in lotion but that has a fragrance (not bad) and for that reason I like this version better.

My neighbor's lost their to 32 yo daughter to Melanoma last summer, so you can't be too careful. Sunscreen every day before I go outside for me these days.

http://www.drugstore.com/products/prod.asp?pid=187819&catid=12101

 
I haven't sat in the sun, just like you, for years....

every since I had my first basel cell removed. I have keratosis (sp?) galore and get checked out every 6 months.

I'm exceptionally fair skinned and wish I would have been more comfortable with it during my teens, 20s and 30s. Wouldn't have the skin damage or sunspots that I have now.

 
I just had a very rude awakening....

Went to dermatologist for what I thought was a little pimple - well, it wasn't, it was basal cell carcinoma on my left cheek, just below my eye - had to have MOHS surgery and an area the size of a dime was carved out of my face, now I have a lovely "x" scar to commemorate the event...

GET A FULL BODY CHECK EVERY YEAR

even if you have dark skin

I have been advised to wear spf50 every day for the rest of my life, even on snowy days, the bloody rays get through...

Oh, and I'm not even 45 yet...

 
This is my own personal soapbox-

Lost my mother to melanoma. She was a freckly redhead. Apparently they are the highest risk category. I'm thoroughly checked every year and probably drive my loved ones nuts about getting their own checkups - but enough can't be said about regular checkups. It's an insidious disease.

 
Do as Pat suggested & then FU by calling the dermatologist's office EVERY DAY to see if they have

had any cancellations. Lots of times in the past, a receptionist would go ahead and give me a canceled appointment time because I was on the phone right then instead of her looking up and trying to contact the next-in-line name on their cancelation listing. It usually pays off to be the squeaky wheel.

Another tactic I've used--and if you live in snow country--when the white stuff begins falling hard, get on the phone immediately to dial offices asking about any cancelations. Lots of people are fearful of driving in snow around this part of Indiana so it is always my time to grab any late-canceled MD appointment times! Works like a charm. I was raised in northern Indiana so snow driving doesn't bother me in the least.

Good luck, and I hope you'll get in by hook or by crook well before May! wigs

 
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