Learning from a Melanoma Scare
- Mary Bentley, a mother of three, is thankful she’s kept up with her skin checks after having surgery to remove an area of skin about the size of a golfball due to melanoma. Now, she’s sharing her story to encourage others to protect their skin.
- Melanoma is a type of skin cancer that starts in the same cells that give your skin, hair and eyes their color. Ninety percent of melanomas are caused by ultraviolet radiation from the sun, so it's important to protect your skin with things like sunscreen and clothing. Avoiding tanning salons is another easy way to make sure you’re not increasing your risk of developing melanoma.
- Paying attention to moles or growths on your skin is an easy way to look out for melanoma since changes to a mole you've had for a while or developing a new growth you don't remembering having on your skin could be signs of of this cancer, according to SurvivorNet's experts.
Bentley’s melanoma journey began with a routine dermatology appointment in early July when her doctor noticed a “weird discoloration” in the center of her scalp.
Read MoreBentley, who used to soak up the sun and frequent tanning beds during her teenage years, was often in search of the year-round tan. And despite the fact that she stopped these dangerous habits years ago, she’s convinced the “damage was already done.”
And the spot on her head wasn’t even the first time she had a skin cancer scare. Dermatologists found four moles they were concerned about when she was just 19, though none required treatment. Still, she would have more than 25 biopsies of moles over the next 15 years five of which were precancerous.
“I’ve always had a lot of moles, and when I was 19 my husband said, ‘you might want to go and get those checked out,’ so I went to the dermatologist,” she said. “They did some biopsies and one of them came back that it wasn’t skin cancer but it was a precancerous spot so they had to do a larger biopsy.
“That’s where it all started and I did start being more precautious but the damage was already done… I’ve stayed on top of it and I would go to the dermatologist every three to six months and I have several scars [from removals].”
Thankfully, Bentley kept up with her appointments, and her doctor spotted the melanoma on her head. For treatment, she underwent successful surgeries on July 21, but the process was scary to say the least.
“As they’re working on your scalp while you’re awake, you can hear the scissors snipping and them cutting your scalp,” she said of her operation. “[The surgeon] gets the first large piece cut out and one of the medical assistants goes ‘oh wow I’ve never seen a skull like that before.’ I was like ‘I don’t want to hear how you can see my skull.'”
A few hours after the first operation, doctors discovered they had not removed all of her cancer meaning she would need another surgery.
“After that they called me back and said they got it all and I was so relieved because I didn’t want to go through that again,” she said. “It was a coin size at least and then the actual cut out was a lot larger to make sure they got it all.”
When all was said and done, the surgeons removed an area about the size of a golfball from her head before stapling the hole back together.
“I knew I was going to have a piece cut out but I didn’t expect it to be that severe,” she said.
She’s since had the staples removed, and her hair has already begun to grow back though doctors have warned her she might eventually suffer from hair loss around the scar. Regardless, Bentley is overwhelmingly happy about her “lucky escape” from cancer.
“It’s not a joke, it is serious and it’s not fun to go through,” she said. “I’m lucky I didn’t have to go through further treatment because it didn’t spread.”
And because she’s convinced her melanoma was the result of avidly seeking a year-round tan as a child and young adult, Bentley is determined to protect her children from the same fate.
“With my own children I’ve always driven them crazy because I lather them in sunblock and put long sleeves on them, but now this has happened they’re more aware and realize how important it is,” she said.
In addition, she wants to educate others about the importance of skin protection and the dangers of tanning.
“The beautiful bronze skin is not worth it, baking in the sun and tanning beds is not worth it because it could be lethal,” she said. “You don’t think of that when you’re tanning but it could cost you your life. I just hope people learn to take care of their skin.
“Nowadays they have all these fake tanners if you want to be bronze for the weekend just go buy one of them, it’s way safer.”
Understanding Melanoma
Melanoma is a type of skin cancer that starts in the same cells that give your skin, hair and eyes their color. The American Cancer Society estimates that about 99,780 new melanomas will be diagnosed in the United States in 2022.
And while the ACS says the risk of melanoma increases as people age with the average age of diagnosis being 65, the disease is not uncommon among those younger than 30. In fact, it's one of the most common cancers in young adults (especially young women).
The disease can develop from an existing mole or appear as a dark or pink growth on the skin even in places on the body that never see the sun. It's also known to be the deadliest form of skin cancer.
"Melanomas are the deadliest type of skin cancer because they have a tendency to spread to other parts of the body," explains Dr. Anna Pavlick, a medical oncologist with Weill Cornell Medicine who specializes in treating skin cancer.
Paying Attention to Your Skin
Keeping an eye on the moles or growths on your skin is an easy way to keep an eye out for melanoma. Changes to a mole you've had for a while or developing a new growth you don't remembering having on your skin could be signs of this cancer, according to SurvivorNet's experts.
Examining Your Skin for Melanoma Remember ABCDE
Dr. Cecilia Larocca of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute gives SurvivorNet an overview of things to look out for with moles using the ABCDE self-screening method:
- Asymmetrical moles: "If you drew a line straight down the center of the mole, would the sides match?"
- Borders that are "irregular, jagged, not smooth." It 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," she says. "Anything that is changing over time such as gaining color, losing color, painful, itching, hurting, changing shape, etc."
Spots on our skin are often harmless, but it's still important to keep an eye on them and reach out to your doctor if you see any changes or find a growth anywhere on your skin that looks suspicious.
Protecting Yourself from Melanoma
Ninety percent of melanomas are caused by ultraviolet radiation from the sun. This means excessive time in the sun even as a child puts you at a higher risk.
Top 5 Ways to Protect Your Skin From Skin Cancer
In a previous interview with SurvivorNet, Dr. Dendy Engelman from MDCS Dermatology in New York shared the top five things you can do to avoid skin cancer:
- Avoid sun during peak hours, which is 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
- Wear a wide brimmed hat and sunglasses to protect the tops of our heads, the tops of our ears and the delicate area around the eye.
- Wear at least SPF 30 sunscreen and make sure to reapply every two hours or after excessive sweating or swimming.
- Have yearly skin checks (with a professional), because it's difficult to evaluate areas all over the body.
- Avoid tanning beds. There are no "good" tanning beds, and they can significantly increase your risk of melanoma.
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