'It's Not One of the Bad Cancers, Right? Wrong.'
- Jenni Tacheny is a mother of four who is currently in hospice care with stage 4 desmoplastic melanoma. Her mother, Sheri Anderson, is also a skin cancer warrior. She was diagnosed with basal cell carcinoma seven years ago and recently had part of her nose removed.
- Because of Anderson’s battle with skin cancer, all her children were vigilant in watching out for signs of skin cancer. That’s why the family was so shocked when Tacheny was diagnosed with a rare form of the disease.
- The family has started a GoFundMe page to help them manage medical costs, and they are also hosting a benefit spaghetti dinner.
That's the message a Wisconsin family wants to send. Sheri Anderson and her daughter Jenni Tacheny are each in a skin cancer battle.
Read MoreAnderson's cancer journey, while not as serious as her daughter’s, started seven years ago when she was diagnosed with basal cell carcinoma. Recently, she had to remove part of her nose.
Five ways you can reduce your risk of developing skin cancer.
The mother and daughter shared their story with Twin Cities news station KSTP to promote screening for skin cancer. They have a GoFundMe where family and friends can make contributions to their medical costs, and they are hosting a spaghetti dinner on February 19 in Dresser, Wisconsin.
"I'm really just hoping to see a lot of friends, family, coworkerspeople that I've seen in my life throughout the years. A lot of people don't know that I'm on hospice yet, so, that's the goalto see these people before I move on," Anderson said.
Skin Checks for Melanoma are Crucial
Visiting a dermatologist for annual skin checks is crucial to detecting skin cancer early and keeping it from progressing. However, dermatologists also recommend taking a look at your own skin every month and looking for any changes that may indicate something is off.
"If you are at high risk for skin cancer, or you have a diagnosis of skin cancer already, we really emphasize the importance of a skin check," Dr. Cecilia Larocca, a dermatologist in the Centers of Melanoma and Cutaneous Oncology at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, previously told SurvivorNet.
Doing regular skin checks on yourself is important for early detection of melanoma, especially if you are at high-risk.
There are certain things to be aware of when you examine your own skin, Dr. Larocca said, like a mole getting bigger, changing color, or changing shape. She recommends using an acronym, ABCDE, to remember what to look out for on your body.
Here's a breakdown of what that means:
Asymmetrical moles: if you drew a line straight down the center of the mole, would the sides match?
Borders: irregular, jagged, not smooth moles; 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.
If you pick up on any of these changes to a mole or notice a new one with some suspicious qualities, that would definitely be something to bring up with a dermatologist as soon as possible. A changing mole does not necessarily mean you have melanoma, but a dermatologist will be able to determine if further testing, like a biopsy, is necessary.
Contributing: Laura Gesualdi-Gilmore
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