How to Spot Skin Cancer and Melanoma
Heard the old joke that a doctor is “practicing” medicine? Sometimes it seems just like that! My misspent youth caught up with me in my 30s and is still causing problems in my late 50s.
Twenty years ago I noticed a large freckle on the back of my calf. I hadn’t always had it. It was larger than a pencil eraser and it worried me. I pointed it out to my dermatologist who said it was nothing to worry about it. Three years later a new dermatologist assured me it looked fine. Two years later, when we moved back east, a new dermatologist said it was harmless.
Eighteen months later we moved back to California, and you guessed it, another dermatologist said it was fine. I told him it bothered me and I wanted it removed, then biopsied. This doctor literally said, “You’re being a silly woman. If I remove that, I’ll butcher your leg and it’ll look horrible.” That bedside manner fell flat on me.
I found a Plastic Surgeon who removed it, then biopsied it.
I remember lying on the table, face down, leg numbed, while he cut it out. He said, “This doesn’t look suspicious to me, but you’ll feel more comfortable with it removed.” Ten days later his nurse phoned. The biopsy had come back showing melanoma. They needed to take a larger, deeper, part of my calf to be sure they got it all. I didn’t panic, but I was furious. How could 5 specialists miss my skin cancer? It didn’t fit the criteria for them to be concerned.
This freckle hadn’t darkened or changed during all those years. But my gut told me it wasn’t right. I’m here because I trusted my instincts and was insistent.
Some possible signs of skin cancer:
- The most important warning sign for melanoma is a new spot, or a spot that is changing in size, shape, or color. Another important sign is a spot that looks different from other spots on your skin (known as the ugly duckling sign). If you have any of these warning signs, have your skin checked by a doctor.
- The ABCDE rule is another guide to the usual signs of melanoma.
A is for Asymmetry
One half of a mole or birthmark does not match the other.
B is for Border
The edges are irregular, ragged, notched, or blurred.
C is for Color
The color is not the same all over and may include shades of brown or black, or sometimes with patches of pink, red, white, or blue.
D is for Diameter
The spot is larger than 6 millimeters across (about ¼ inch – the size of a pencil eraser), although melanomas can sometimes be smaller than this.
E is for Evolving
The mole is changing in size, shape, or color.
__________
How to protect your skin:
I wear hats almost everyday and have 3 sun umbrellas. I wear very strong sunscreen everyday. I slather all exposed parts of me, rain or shine. When the salespeople tell me there’s no benefit to using anything higher than an SPF 30, I ignore them.
If I’m in a very sunny place or will be outside a long time, I layer sunscreens. I start with a chemical sunscreen, which goes on bare skin, soaks in and changes how your skin reacts to the sun. Then, I layer a physical block on top which reflects the suns rays. I can’t be too careful.
Look for full spectrum sunscreens that protect against UVA and UVB. Wear UV protective sunglasses, clothing, hats and stay out of the sun. I do all of these and still have spots pop up. They’re from damage caused many years ago.
UVA: A stands for Aging.
This radiation penetrates deep into the skin and is responsible for premature aging of the skin and skin cancer. Tanning beds can emit 2 to 5 times more UVA radiation than the sun. People actually still use these!
UVB: B stands for Burning.
This radiation is stronger than UVA radiation. It mainly affects the outer layers of the skin, causing sunburns, premature aging of the skin, and skin cancer. These rays are strongest during the summer months – especially between 11 am and 4 pm.
You need to be your own advocate when it comes to your health. And skin cancer is serious business. If anything seems off to you, trust your instinct and go the extra mile to be sure. Skin Cancer is deadly.
What type of sunscreen do you use?
I had a strange looking wart on my nose. It started to grow vertically. I knew that I had to see a specialist but I was told that it would take 4 months. I eventually went to cancer skin clinic in person as they won’t answer their phones to tell me when I would see them. After telling them my doctor referral date, they told me it would be a month wait. Two weeks later I was seeing a specialist. This would not have happened if I didn’t go to their office in person. Hopefully my method will help someone out there who desperately needs a faster appointment.
Very smart Judy!
Thanks for joining us at #MidLifeLuv Jennifer! We’re very glad to have you.
Kimberly
http://FiftyJewels.com
Funny you should mention this. I’m having a basel cell carcinoma removed on Tuesday. This will probably be my 26th. No it’s not the sun. I had X-ray treatments for acne as a teenager! I’m now paying the price I go to a speical surgeon in Santa Monica who performs MOS surgery. By this time I can tell when I see one of my face. Some I miss. I go to the doctor every four months. One bioopsy came back negative but I knew it was positive. Sure enough a growth came back and it was positive. So great information. We should all compile our lists of sunscreens. It’s so personal as to what feels good. Of course mine is really a result of xrays and not sun.
Such a helpful post, Jennifer. My Irish/English husband has spent all his time outside playing golf. I finally persuaded him to see my dermatologist, and he has had to have something removed almost every year. The worst was a spot on the tip of his nose that started bleeding. It was cancer, and required a massive procedure which almost cost him the bottom half of his nose. Fortunately, a wonderful plastic surgeon was there to repair the damage. He now has just a small dent in the end of his nose, which he could have repaired, but hasn’t bothered to do so. I would have had it fixed in a heartbeat, but we women are fussier about these things. He looks great, wears sun screen and gets regular check ups, thanks to my nagging. Sometimes nagging pays off.
As for me, w/my porcelain skin and red hair, I knew even at a young age that exposure to the sun was lethal.
Cheers, M-T
What an important post. I spent way too many years baking in the sun. I have had one basal cell but I am constantly on alert. One has to be their own health advocate!
Yes Cindy!! I’m glad you caught it. Left untreated they progress from Basil Cell to more serious ones.
Such an important post, and well written too. I used to worship the sun, and was (at one point) daft enough to use sunbeds, when I was younger… despite vaguely knowing the risk. Often it’s not until we’re older that we sit up and take notice.
This is a great awareness piece, I’m glad you went with your gut feeling, was able to get the treatment you needed, and that you’re here to tell the tale.
Hopefully, your story will make others more wary after reading.
All the best, Kimmie.
Thanks Kimmie! Worshiping the sun was simoky part of our generation. We actually have Coco Chanel to thank for its popularity. Prior to her, only the “peasants’ got tanned.
This is a great heads-up, Jennifer! We have all experienced some degree of arrogance with doctors and I have learned that it is important to stick up for your own body! Thanks for joining the #funsummerfinds linkup!
Shellie
http://www.thefabjourney.com
Sometimes it seemed like arrogance. Other times it felt like apathy, which really pissed me off. Yes, we have to advocate for our own bodies.
I mostly just stay out of the sun and never have been fond of “laying out” though we all did it as teen-agers in the 70’s (and I lived in the tropics!).
I just don’t like the feel and inconvenience of applying and re-applying sunscreen. Are there decent sprays or powders? Wondering this, too, about tinted moisturizer – every summer it’s the same thing … I want to apply some tint, esp on my legs and arms but the thought of putting lotion on when I emerge from a cooling shower is just – not attractive. Jergens and its generics (Walmart) dry pretty fast, but – I still want to look that up… Powdered semi-permanent skin tints. I guess it’s called “gradual tanner”.
Also be great if sunscreen included some tanner. Looks like some do…
It’s really important to find a sunscreen that feels good on your skin!! So you will use it consistently. I try a lot of new sunscreens but basically stick to a physical block (Sheseido) for my face and neck. Then a chemical one for the rest of me.
I use and like the Jergens light self tanner for my legs in the summer. It just takes the “pasty factor” off my legs and helps disguise some veins.
Great post! Timely too as a friend of mine from high school died last year from melanoma. She was only 49. I’ve not tanned in over 25 years and am rocking my paleness. I’ve had tremendous difficulty finding sunscreen that didn’t irritate my face but finally lucked out with CoTZ Face Natural Skin Tone SPF 40 Sunscreen 1.5 oz that I discovered on Coolibar. I love this stuff! At first I thought that the tint would be way too dark for my porcelain skin tone but once rubbed in it’s fine. I’m wearing this instead of foundation as it makes my skin look poreless. Now I need to start wearing sunscreen on the rest of my body. I also have a great hat, 2 pairs of pants and 1 top from Coolibar and I love all of them. Think I’ll make an appt with my doctor for a skin check now…
I’m sorry to hear about your friend. That’s so tragic.
Thanks for the sunscreen recommendation Kim! I’ll check out the CoTZ. I’m so fair I usually can’t wear tinted sunscreens. In fact, pure zinc usually disappears into my skin tone.
YES…protect the rest of your body. Apparently melanoma doesn’t always show up where your skin has had the most exposure. Mine was the back of my leg. I’ve got a large package coming from Coolibar. They have great products. Thanks so much for sharing Kim!!
I tanned all the time when I was young. I was so naive. I thought I’d be dead by the time I was 30 so I didn’t care how it was damaging my blond blue eyed sensitive skin. Flash forward 30 years and I am paying with age spots and wrinkles.
If you’ve read my blog for longer than 2 years you will know that I suffered tremendously at the hands of a bad Dr. during what should have been a simple operation that turned into a nightmare of pain. I had a fear of hospitals before I went for my operation but I can tell you that my most recent catastrophe cemented my thoughts that hospitals are places we go to die, not get better.
bisous
Suzanne
I’ve only recently found you Suzanne, so I didn’t hear about your horrible problem. It sounds awful! I agree hospitals are where people go to die. And that’s another issue I will take to my soap box. It shouldn’t be that way. Glad you’re OK now.
I had a similar story. I had a small spot on the end of my nose which my Doctor kept telling me was harmless. It was the chemist in France who told me to got to a specialist as soon as possible when I asked for something to get rid of the pesky spot. By this stage it was bleeding. It was still difficult to get a referral and it was wrongly treated. I finally had an operation and a skin graft on the end of my nose to fill in the hole. Not a good story. I was lucky apart from the appearance it was not the dangerous type.
I’m so sorry to hear this!! You’re so lucky. The problem is, those Basil and Squamous cell, pre cancers turn into more serious problems if left untreated. I’m really glad you caught it.
Jennifer, would you share what sunblocks you use? Thank you.
Hi Michele! I like a variety of sunscreens and use different ones, depending on how strong the sun is. I just tried a new “gee wizz”, invisible zinc sunscreen, that was crappy. I’ll write post on what I look for, why and the winners I’ve found.
Oh my gosh. So glad you went with your instincts! I wear high spf as I burn easily.
Ouch. This really hits home. My mother was a sun worshipper who raised a sun worshipper. I am so trying to listen to you, Jennifer. Must disclose that tomorrow’s post might put you off. As far as doctors go, I agree with you 100%. We must advocate for ourselves and our loved ones. Sometimes you just have to say no, doctor, you’re wrong. We live inside our body, not them.
Anita
Your post didn’t upset me at all Anita!! You may have totally different skin and melanin content than mine. Growing up in the era of “tan is chic”, was tough for my ghost white complexion. I’m now paying for the ignorance of my youth, but cringe when I see people ignoring what we do know now.
I haven’t had the luxury of having the same doctors for years at a time. With changing health plans it seems like you have to tell the same story over and over. Communication between doctors is sometimes non-existent. It’s great that you demanded to have a biopsy and found out before it’s too late. We have to step up to the plate to make sure we get the care we and our loved ones need.
We do Rebecca! As we care for others, we must demand the same care for ourselves.
Thank you for this, Jennifer. As someone who baked in the sun in my teens (didn’t we all in the 70s?) with little more than baby oil – I’m living with the damage now, as well. Glad you were tenacious in your gut feeling.
Baby oil and iodine was my cocktail of destruction! For some reason I assumed it would make me tan like my friends who tanned easily. I can only claim ignorance of the time.