Don't Ignore a Mystery Bump
- Fitness instructor Helen Notley, 46, from Leeds, England went from innocently trying to pop “a small blood blister” on her hand to finding out she had nodular melanoma.
- Nodular melanoma is a fast-growing melanoma (a type of skin cancer), that presents as a typically symmetrical lesion on the skin. Bleeding can be a symptom.
- Tanning beds increase your chances of melanoma “exponentially,” according to experts, and regular sun exposure accounts for around 90% of melanoma cases.
Nodual melanoma is an even faster-growing melanoma (a type of skin cancer), that presents as a typically symmetrical lesion on the skin. Bleeding can be a symptom.
Read MoreI was contacted last week by the lovely Megan, who wanted to share my story.
She has written this absolutely…Posted by Helen Notley on Wednesday, April 7, 2021
The article reveals that Notley is taking part in a clinical trial for a new drug after she kept getting more lumps on her arm. “I had it removed in 2018, got the all clear, got drunk and celebrated and didn’t think any more of it,” she said.
Then she found another lump. And another. “I could see a lot more tumors growing in my arm and after the final lot of surgery, my doctors said it wasn’t working,” she said.
Right now, the disease is stage 3 and is confined to her arm. She has regular scans to monitor the activity.
Notley has been sharing her story to raise awareness and to raise funds for Cancer Research UK. She just received credentials to help other cancer patients with their health and fitness. “Keeping fit can improve your chances,” the health-enthusiast said. She has even been cycling for the cause.
“There’s a huge grey area with cancer – people think you either live or die but there’s people like me who are living with it and managing it and I don’t think that is spoken about enough.”
Tanning and Melanoma Risk
In general, not only should you be protecting yourself from the sun, but you should also definitely stay away from tanning beds. Instead opt for sunless tanning products or organic spray tans if you’re in need of a healthy glow.
Related: Gay Men Get More Skin Cancer The Perils of Tanning Bed Culture
“We know there is a direct correlation with [melanoma] patients who go to indoor tanning salons,” Dr. Anna Pavlick from NYU Perlmutter Cancer Center tells SurvivorNet, who notes that the exposure “is about 6 inches from your body.”
On a beach, the sun is millions of miles away, “so you have to think of the intensity that you’re exposing your skin to when you go to a tanning salon,” she says.
Bottom line, tanning beds increase your chances of melanoma “exponentially.”
Tanning Salons Pose a Big Risk of Melanoma
Not so fast, sun. The star that lights up our world is the bigger culprit overall; it’s just that tanning beds tend to speed up the process by blasting you more intensely. But the years of sun exposure all add up. In fact, around ninety percent of melanomas are caused by ultraviolet radiation from the sun. All it takes is one severe burn. So if you’ve had more than you can count, it’s time to start protecting yourself as much as possible.
"Melanomas are the deadliest type of skin cancer because they have a tendency to spread to other parts of the body," explains Dr. Pavlick. Melanoma can develop from an existing mole or it can appear as a dark or pink growth on the skinand it can appear in places that were never exposed to the sun, “such as the sinuses, the back of the eye, the anal/rectal area” and other areas.
Related: Blood Test Could Predict the Best Type of Treatment for Metastatic Melanoma
Be sure to get your skin checked out by a dermatologist, who will determine whether you should go in for annual, or bi-annual, check-ups, depending on your level of sun exposure and amount of freckles and moles on your body.
The Sun is Not Your Friend Most Melanomas are Caused by Sun Exposure
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