Like so many of us in the SurvivorNet family, former Bachelorette, Ali Fedotowsky, 35, now of the Hallmark Channel’s “Home and Family”– is living under quarantine and has a message for the medical professionals on the front lines of the COVID-19 crisis. “Being brave doesn’t mean you’re not scared,” she shared in an Instagram photo. “It means you’re scared but you do it anyway.”
Read More“My Dermatologist Used The C-Word!”
In January, Fedotwoski shared news of her skin cancer diagnosis on her Instagram account. The mompreneur had an irregularly-shaped mole on her stomach, which she revealed in her post: “Swipe to the third pic to see what my mole looked like before I got the biopsy done (so you know what to look for).”
“When my dermatologist used the c-word,” she continued. “I just about fainted in his office.”
The diagnosis was basal cell carcinoma, the most common kind of skin cancer, which is “rarely fatal,” especially when caught early
An Irregularly-Shaped Mole
“The VERY first thing I did when I got diagnosed was text my family on a group text urging them all to get their skin checked.” Next, she alerted her ‘extended family’ on social media. Although the post is new, the Hallmark Channel star said she got the news, “a couple of weeks ago.”
Basal cell carcinoma is super common,” she said. “The most common skin cancer. You probably know someone who has it. So it's no big deal. But what IS a big deal is not treating it and treating it early.”
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Since The Bachelorette” Ali has appeared on "Today," "Rachael Ray," "GMA," "The Steve Harvey Show,” and E!'s "Fashion Police." She can also be seen in Woody Allen's film "Blue Jasmine." She recently joined the Home & Family team on Hallmark Channel as a family member and regularly fills in as co-host of "Entertainment Tonight."
Dermatologist? “I Go Every 3/6 Months”
For patients who have completed basal cell carcinoma treatment, it’s crucial to watch your skin closely, according to the American Cancer Society. Along with the risk of the cancer returning, people who have had skin cancer are also at high risk for developing other skin cancers in different locations, so close follow-up is important. Now that most of the country is in quarantine, contact your dermatologist for updated information about how their office is handling follow-up visits.
“Going to a dermatologist and getting your skin checked every year is SO important (I now go every 3/6 months),” Fedotowski says.
Like other celebrities and influencers who confront cancer scares, Fedotwoski often takes to social media to share the news with fans. In doing so, she sends available messages about the need for transparency when it comes to skin cancer, and about the importance of cancer screening and prevention.
“I'm lucky it wasn't melanoma,” she continued. “And I'm lucky that I caught it early.”
Dr. Cecilia Larocca, a dermatologist at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, recommends checking skin for changes once a month and remembering the acronmym ABCDE as a checklist.
Skin Cancer Checklist:
Doing regular self-checks on your skin is important to find skin cancer early. If you're high-risk, it's especially vital. Dr. Cecilia Larocca, a dermatologist at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, recommends looking at your skin once a month for anything suspiciousand using the acronym ABCDE as a checklist:
Asymmetrical moles: if you drew a line straight down the center of the mole, would the sides match?
Borders: irregular, jagged, not smooth; can also stand for bleeding
Colors: multiple distinct colors in the mole
Diameter: larger than 6mm, about the size of a pencil head eraser
Evolution: This may be the most important, anything that is changing over time such as gaining color, losing color, painful, itching, hurting, changing shape, etc…
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