skin cancer

Does anyone know of anyone that had/ or has this? What was there experience?? How did they find out??

AND... What is their skin tone/nationality??
TIA I heard people with fair skin are at higher risk...

Re: skin cancer

I'm Irish, and very fair skinned. My father and grandparents all had skin cancer at one time. I go to the dermatologist every month to get checked, and we all get checked frequently. My dad's was caught before it spread, so they just remove the lesions.

Re: skin cancer

Posted by nancygrace

Does anyone know of anyone that had/ or has this? What was there experience?? How did they find out??

AND... What is their skin tone/nationality??
TIA I heard people with fair skin are at higher risk...

Re: skin cancer

I've had some pieces of skin removed over the years because of pre-cancerous cells.

I have my mom's skin - Irish and fair, I burn and peel in the sun and get more freckles.

She's had several incidents of skin cancer as have my maternal grandparents.

I'm very very very careful in the sun. SPF 15 or higher every day.

My sister and dad on the other hand....they have the Italian skin - always bronzed and tan, no incidents ever. I'm so jealous.

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Re: skin cancer

I don't think that is necessarily true...
since my grandmother spent most of her leisure time on a boat and despite her complexion rare got burnt

Re: skin cancer

It's related to time in the sun and amount of sun damage, so while fair skinned people might be more prone to damage, someone darker who goes tanning or spends all summer at the beach might be more likely to get cancerous cells.

Re: skin cancer

I know a girl that died of skin cancer at 26 years old- 3 months after she got married. It was the saddest thing. She had melanoma which is a malignant(deadly) form of skin cancer. She was fair-skinned and Irish, which is the most common type, however anyone can get it.

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Im soo scared of this to tell u the truth. BUT I AM ADDICTED to the sun in the summer. Its crazy. I go for check ups once a yr to my dermatologist.

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Re: skin cancer

well if you are using sunscreen and going for check ups i wouldn't worry that much

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Ultraviolet (UV) rays are the sun's invisible "burning" rays — the ones that cause sunburns, and in some cases, skin cancer. There are three types of ultraviolet rays:
UV-A
These rays of the sun maintain a relatively constant intensity throughout the year and also penetrate more deeply into the skin's layers than UV-B rays. These rays contribute to premature aging and wrinkling of the skin, to sunburn, and even to skin cancer.


UV-B
These rays, which are stronger than UV-A, are more intense in summer months, at higher altitudes, and closer to the equator. UV-B is the most common cause of sunburning, can contribute to the premature aging of the skin, and can cause cataracts — a permanent clouding of the eye which greatly reduces vision. The UV-B exposure we get over the course of our life can even cause skin cancer and alter your immune system.


How much UV reaches me?
The amount of UV you are exposed to changes with the time of day, seasons, weather conditions, and where you happen to be. The more intense the sun, the greater your exposure to UV. The amount of UV that will filter down to the Earth depends on the following:

Time of Day: UV is greatest when the sun is highest in the sky — generally midday, between 10 AM and 4 PM — and less in the early morning and late afternoon. A good rule of thumb is "If your shadow is shorter than you are, you should take extra precautions in the sun."


Season: While UV exposure is the greatest in the Summer (May-August), it is important to remember that UV reaches the Earth every day, and you should remember to take the appropriate precautions in the sun all year round.


Altitude: The air is cleaner and thinner at higher altitudes; therefore, UV exposure is greater in the mountains than in the valleys.


Where You Live: UV is strongest at the equator and gets weaker as you move towards the Earth's poles. Remember to take extra precautions if you travel to tropical locations!


Length of Time Spent in the Sun: The longer you are out in the sun, the more UV you receive. Many of us forget to include time spent outside doing daily activities such as walking a dog, getting the mail, or walking to a train or bus stop as time spent in the sun. However, much of the UV exposure we get is from these types of activities.


Sun Facts

Protecting your skin during the first 18 years of life can reduce the risk of some types of skin cancer by up to 78%.
You can get a sunburn even on a cloudy day! Up to 80% of the sun's rays can penetrate light clouds, mist, and fog.
Experts warn that one severe sunburn during the first 15 years of life can double the risk of skin cancer.
Cataracts, once thought to be an inevitable part of aging, are also associated with UV exposure.
Snow reflects the sun like a mirror. Fresh snow reflects up to 95% of the sun's rays.
You can get sunburned when you are in the water! Water reflects an additional 5% of the sun's rays back on you.
Even dry surfaces reflect the sun's rays! Concrete reflects 10% to 12% of the sun's rays.


ETA:





Since melanoma is most often caused by being in the sun too much, it makes sense that people should try to avoid or protect themselves from the sun's harmful rays. This is especially important between the hours of 10 AM and 4 PM, when the sun's rays are the strongest. Protect yourself by wearing wide-brimmed hats, long-sleeved shirts, and long pants. Always use a sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 15 or higher on all exposed skin — even in the winter — and carefully follow the manufacturer's instructions.

Since early detection of melanoma is an important part of prevention, you should examine your skin every month. The best time to do this is after a bath or shower, standing in front of a full-length mirror. Use a handheld mirror to help you view areas that are difficult to see. Examine all moles or markings, and look for any changes in the number, size, shape, or color of these markings

Message edited 2/15/2006 8:51:57 PM.

Re: skin cancer

My dad, Italian, removed the spot, no problems.

My co-worker, Irish, removing spot after spot after spot. I'm hoping he'll be ok.

Re: skin cancer

I have had 3 spots of skin cancer removed; my type of skin cancer is basal cell. It's not life threatening. I'm developing basal cell now because of sun damage and exposure from my childhood. They know this because of where the spots are found - my back and chest. I'm of Irish/German decent and light skinned.

I never go out in the sun without sunscreen on and make sure I don't burn. I can't do anything to repair my previous sun damage but I can prevent future sun damage.

I see a dermotogolist every six months.

I hope this helps.

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My grandfather (German and fair-skinned) has had lots and lots of spots removed from his scalp. None were cancerous, but he's got a lot of spots.
he's bald and spent a lot of time on his boat back in the day, so I'm guessing it's from over-exposure.

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I have fair skin--Irish. I have had many spots removed, all of which came back okay. Melanoma runs in my family, so I go for a check-up at least once a year. Also, as I have gotten older I have become wiser about the sun. When I was younger I would go to tanning salons, oil up on the beach, etc. I could kick myself for being young and stupid, all to have a nice tan

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I have PALE skin in the winter and I get really brown in the summer. I'm Italian/Polish...just like you Nancy! My Dad had melinomia and had it removed a few years ago. I had some pre-cancer spots cut off as well. You get really dark, I think you need to take it easy with the sun!

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I have had pre-cancerous moles and scaley sections removed from my upper arm (14 stitches across, 10 down), forehead, and chest.

My father and grandfather had skin cancer.

All of us are very fair, Irish. I never tan.

I would be really careful, no matter how much sunscreen you put on, to not intentionally lay out to get tan, I really think it is too risky.

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My mom had melanoma and she had to have a lot removed off her shoulder. She is fair skinned, she found out b/c my grandmother thought it looked strange.

She was the type of person who used to be all covered up when she went to the beach as a kid/teen, so you just never know what is going to happen.

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I have very fair skin, covered with freckles and i've gotten several bad sunburns since i was young.
I just went to the dermotologist last january to get a full body check and they removed one mole on my arm which turned out to have melanoma. So they had to go deeper into my arm and remove whatever was in there, take a huge chunk out of my arm and stitch it up.
Throughout the course of the year i had a total of 8 moles removed, and another one on my leg was precancerous also, so they had to go deeper with that one too.
I havent been back this year, but i am due.
Its very scary...I know someone who waited too long and now has to go for treatments.
My grandmother has skin cancer, and my father has some traces of it also.

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I have had cancerous cells removed (I'm Irish). I had three brown spots no bigger than freckles that were concerning my dermotologist. To look at, you would never know there was anything unusual. Two of them tested positive so she "dug" further for those and the other was sliced off with a razor. I now have a full body screening every year right after the Summer.

I have a paternal history of melonoma. My Uncle died from it 10 years ago and my father has had spots removed before and is going in again in 2 weeks for some on his face

I grew up in Ireland. My skin saw the sun for 2 weeks every year when we went to the Continent for holidays. I did have some extremely bad burnings as a child, but the total amount of time I spent in the sun in my lifetime has been very little compared to most. I NEVER tan any more.

If you have any concerns PLEASE get yourself checked. You may have something and not even know it. Some spots I have I think should be watched and my dermotologist says they are fine. She also said that she recently found melonoma cells behind one person's ear and in the crack of someone else's a**, so it's not just areas that are in direct sunlight that have to be checked.

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I'm very very very careful in the sun. SPF 15 or higher every day year round!!