In North Carolina, a woman was diagnosed with melanoma, which could have ended her career indefinitely. In order to help, surgeons came up with a creative solution to the problem.
Audrey Gaddis, a dental hygienist in North Carolina, suspected that something was wrong with her thumb in March 2017, when she noticed a dark mark on her thumbnail. At first she brushed it off as a freckle, but after the mark did not go away, she followed up with doctors. After a few months, she was diagnosed with melanoma, and doctors recommended removing the thumb all together to stop the cancer from spreading to other parts of the body. Once receiving the news, Gaddis was concerned that removing her thumb would mean she would have to give up her career, but doctors offered to do a surgery which would replace her thumb with her big toe.
Read MoreRecognizing Melanoma
Melanoma is a serious form of skin cancer which can spread rapidly to other organs if it’s not treated early. Melanoma may recur in many different areas but it's commonly found in the soft tissues of the skin, which might appear as a lump. Melanoma can also appear in other parts of the body besides the skin, and in organs like the lungs or the brain. Oncologists have talked to SurvivorNet about how to prevent a melanoma diagnosis and sunscreen is extremely important.Related: An Immunotherapy Success Story: Mary Elizabeth Williams Lived Through Metastatic Melanoma
“It’s a common misconception that people think they only need sun protection when they’re in the bright, warm sunshine,” Dr. Dendy Engelman, a board certified dermatologic surgeon and associate at Manhattan Dermatology and Cosmetic Surgery, tells SurvivorNet. “But the reality is, we can get sun damage at any time throughout the year, even in the cold wintry months. And if we’re unprotected for even 15 minutes a day, if we think about the cumulative effects that has on our skin over a lifetime, it’s very real.”
Dr. Dendy Engelman explains why wearing sunscreen is crucial to prevent melanoma
For people who have been diagnosed with melanoma, the main treatment option is typically surgery. In some cases of early-stage melanoma that is close to the skin surface, Mohs surgery might be offered at some institutions. Mohs surgery is a microscopically controlled surgery that removes skin cancer by conservatively cutting along the entire margin until the surgeon reaches clear tissue. It's most often used to remove other skin cancers like basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas. However, the type of surgery patients will undergo is often determined depending on the stage of the cancer.
Related: Atypical Moles Don't Necessarily Mean You Have Melanoma
Melanoma is typically regarded as “cured” once the cancer is removed, but it can reoccur. Regular screening for melanoma is key in catching the disease if it reoccurs. Dermatologists tell SurvivorNet that patients who had early-stage melanoma should have a skin examination every three to six months.
“During these clinical exams, we’ll also be asking if they’re developing any new symptoms– headaches, changes in vision, cough, fatigue, weight loss,” Dr. Cecilia Larocca, a dermatologist at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, told SurvivorNet. “And it’s these questions that will help us determine whether or not any additional screening needs to be done. In patients who have a higher risk of recurrence, we recommend screening.”
Dr. Cecilia Larocca discusses why screening tests are important to detect melanoma reoccurrence
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