Vim & Vigor - Winter 2010 - North Mississippi - (Page 35)

T ake a look around. Do you think you could identify the people most likely to get skin cancer? Year-round sunworshippers, older women who are always sporting a golf tan and mature men tending to their gardens? Maybe. Then again, spotting those at risk might not be so easy. With more than 1 million cases diagnosed every year, skin cancer is the most common cancer in the U.S., according to the Skin Cancer Foundation. That’s a lot of people, and they aren’t all described above. Basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas are the most prevalent forms, the American Academy of Dermatology reports, but cases of melanoma, the most deadly form, are rising. Melanoma is responsible for more than 75 percent of skin cancer deaths. These three skin cancers are distinguished by the types of skin cells in which they grow and their physical appearance. They have one thing in common, though—you need to catch them early. “Ninety-nine percent of the game is knowing what your skin looks like normally,” says Ellen Marmur, M.D., a spokeswoman for the American Academy of Dermatology and author of Simple Skin Beauty. “Once skin cancers get beyond their area of local destruction, they get into the bloodstream and lymph nodes,” she says. By noticing changes in your skin, you can help your doctor find skin cancer before it turns deadly. Take it from these four skin cancer survivors, early detection saves lives. And protecting yourself from overexposure to the sun is important year-round, not just when you’re lounging in the backyard or at the beach. Judy Barlas, age 61 Family history: No cancer in her immediate family likely culprit: Severe sunburns as a child her story: When Barlas recalls her childhood, she remembers severe—even blistering—sunburns. At the time, she says, people didn’t understand the sun’s power. “We didn’t have SPF 30 sunscreen back then,” says the fair-skinned redhead. Plus, Barlas says that she craves the sun because of seasonal affective disorder, a form of depression that worsens in dreary winter months. In 1989, at a regular checkup with her family physician, Barlas pointed out a few spots on her skin. Her concerns stemmed from a close friend’s recent bout with skin cancer. The doctor asked her to monitor the spots, and three months later performed a biopsy, cutting out a sample of tissue. The results were surprising: melanoma on her left knee. “My doctor may have thought it was cancer, but I don’t think she ever thought it would be melanoma,” she says. But Barlas was lucky: A follow-up surgery shortly after showed the cancer had not spread. More than 20 years later, Barlas remains cancer-free. She sees her dermatologist once a year for screenings. Vim & Vigor • WI NTER 2010 35

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Vim & Vigor - Winter 2010 - North Mississippi

Vim & Vigor - Winter 2010 - North Mississippi
Table of Contents
Opening Thoughts
Lives Renewed
Hands-On Approach
Smart Moves
Miss Information
Stroke Sense
Gut Feelings
On the Cover - The Story on Stress
The Faces of Skin Cancer
Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark
A Natural Dilemma
17 Reasons to Work in Healthcare
Aerobics Roundup
Make a Splash
It’s a Great Place to Work
Catch the Spirit

Vim & Vigor - Winter 2010 - North Mississippi