Malignant Melanoma–watch For It
The newspaper at my parent’s house was in a pile next to the fireplace ready for kindling when I picked it up. The front page had a photo of a college guy who was traveling to campuses publicizing the danger signals of cancer. He had malignant melanoma. The prognosis was grim — doctors said he had no more than a year to live. The year was 1974, and I was about the same age as the student.
That panicked me, and having a tendency to hypochondria, I consulted a medical encyclopedia to discover what this disease was all about. In 1974, malignant melanoma was not a household name – I had never heard of it. I learned it usually began in a mole, and its early symptoms included a darkening with irregular growth and color. To my dismay, I remembered I had an unusual mole on my abdomen, and became even more frightened when I examined it closely. It was about half as large as my little fingernail, but looked fierce—-crusty with mixed brown and black pigment. The next day, a dermatologist removed it with no guarantees, and 11 days later the lab confirmed it was invasive malignant melanoma.
Fortunately, melanoma is highly curable if caught early. I was lucky, and after further surgery never heard from it again.
Specialists believe coarse sunburns in childhood and adolescence can increase the chances of adult diagnosis, and it is more accepted in those individuals with a fair complexion. Malignant melanoma is on the increase, and has been since about the time I discovered mine. It was the baby boomer generation that began a trend toward obscene sunbathing to achieve those “healthy” tans (which usually start with a burn). While there is more awareness now of skin cancer, many individuals still do not occupy protective measures when outside. The Mayo Clinic recommends that individuals avoid sunbathing between the hours of 10 AM and 4 PM, and use a lotion with at least an SPF (sun protection factor) of 15.
Doctors recommend that all individuals periodically examine their skin for signs of abnormality using the following “ABCDE” check:
A—Asymmetrical shape—Look for moles with irregular shapes.
B—Border—Look for moles with irregular, notched or scalloped borders
C—Color—Look for any lesion with different colors, or an uneven distribution of color.
D—Diameter—Any mole larger than a pencil eraser (1/4 inch) should be checked.
E—Evolving Change—Look for changes over time—color, size or shape, or a mole that becomes itchy or bleeds.
So, it is important to learn the ABCDE signs and eye a dermatologist speedily with any suspicious moles or lesions. I did, and credit that college guy for saving my life.
Sources: www.mayoclinic.com
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