May is Skin Cancer Awareness Month. MOCer’s spend a LOT of time outside. SOOOO, this is something, Al and I feel we all need to pay close attention to.
Do you know the ABCD’s of recognizing skin cancers??
Here are a few pages to look at if you need to review this very dangerous health risk:
http://www.skincancer.org/Melanoma/?...FQgNDQodc0PG-g
http://www.cancerresearch.org/resour...FRAhDQodYX8-9A
http://www.cancer.med.umich.edu/cancertreat/skincancer/skin_cancer_all_types.shtml
http://www.cancer.med.umich.edu/cancertreat/skincancer/index.shtml
Al and I recently became VERY aware of melanoma when he was diagnosed with it. Let me tell you, the time between when the doctor says, this is NOT looking good and the time when you hopefully get a biopsy back that says, this did not go to the dangerous stage is one very very very scary time.
Here is where he went:
http://www.cancer.med.umich.edu/cancertreat/skincancer/the_clinic.shtml
Some things we learned about melanoma, and, please note, this is what we understand the facts to be, do your own research, google melanoma, there are LOTS of great sites and TONS of really good info out there at your fingertips!!
Melanoma is the most serious form of skin cancer. However, if it is recognized and treated early, it is nearly 100 percent curable. But if it is not, the cancer can advance and spread to other parts of the body, where it becomes hard to treat and can be fatal.
A melanoma only needs to go about 1/25th of an inch deep into your skin to start heading towards the lymph glands, etc. More men are diagnosed with melanoma than women. Melanoma found on the trunk of your body is more dangerous than on your arms and legs. Treatment of choice, per Al’s doctors, is surgery. You really don’t want to have to have the other treatments available.
Since we, as RVer’s spend a lot of time in the great outdoors, please think very hard about seeing your dermatologist twice a year for a full body exam, noting that melanomas can even be found on the bottom of your feet.
Please learn your ABCD’s.