When you get a call, like I did, from your spouse telling you his dermatologists thinks he has melanoma, the first 5 things you should do are:

1. LISTEN

Your spouse will tell you everything you need to know initially. What the doctor thinks the stage is (Melanoma is gauged in stages 1,2,3,4). No one will know for
sure without a biopsy, but they have a pretty good idea.

No matter what the stage, it will have an initial distressing effect. In my case,
my husband’s doctor thought it was Stage 4.

After you have the facts, there are things you yourself can do. Even if it’s a speck, melanoma is a very serious, sometimes life-threatening disease, so you will want to consider No. 2. If it is a disturbing diagnosis, you will definitely want to
go to No. 2.

2. CALL ANYONE YOU KNOW WHO HAS HAD SKIN CANCER OR KNOWS SOMEONE WHO HAS HAD SKIN

CANCER

If your friend has experienced it first hand (in the family), you will get valuable answers to the question “What do I do?”

The answers I got ranged from the hospital where the individual got treatment, the doctor who oversaw the treatment, the opinion of that treatment, where else the person got treated, the doctor who oversaw that treatment the opinion of that treatment, and any cancer organizations and/or websites you can go to learn about this disease.

3. RESEARCH

This is the most important single task you will do. And you are just beginning.
You want to learn everything you can learn, because you never know what you will find that may help.

American Cancer Society
AAD (American Academy of Dermatology)
Institutes of Health – Skin Cancer

From one of these sources … friends, cancer organizations, internet, you will find treatment centers near where you live.

4. AFTER THE DIAGNOSIS HAS BEEN CONFIRMED

At some point, you’re going to join your spouse at the doctor’s office. At this point, you will ask for a recommended Oncologist (preferably an expert in skin
Cancer, but not absolutely necessary).

After a course of action has been suggested, immediately find another top

medical center and doctor for a Second Opinion. And there is nothing in the

world wrong with getting a third.

Your spouse and you consider options. Sometimes there will be more

than one option. This can be extremely anxiety provoking. There is no easy

way to deal with this. You can pray, you can ask advice, but ultimately you and

your spouse (or if your spouse is comfortable, he’ll make his own decision) will

have to come to a decision.

No matter which way you go, who decides what, sometimes there is no sure

answer.

5. AFTER THE TREATMENT

As long as there’s another day of life, and when life is at stake, you must continue researching. Researching will be your best friend.

And if you don’t like the way your doctor is handling things, or maybe he’s not showing enough interest with your spouse’s questions, or your questions, or what to do next, or anything that doesn’t feel right to you, get another doctor!

Difficult as it is, we changed doctors 3 or more times. His second dermatologist
overlooked missed something so staggeringly major, I almost fainted when I discovered it. At least ten serious actions came to my mind regarding that doctor, but time and energy was needing for taking the next step.

I honestly don’t remember through what source … the paper, a person, a friend, told me about a doctor back east who, when appropriate, imported a drug from France that was going through trials that matched my husband’s circumstances.
The doctor back east studied our “case”, and agreed to send the drug.

In the end, I lost my husband to the disease. And we don’t know for sure that the

drug from France helped, but we think it gave him 3 more years.

LYNN ROSE is the founder of Soleil Chic UV Umbrellas. After a long career as a pianist-vocalist-composer and award-winning screenwriter, Lynn changed her career after losing her husband to malignant melanoma. SOLEIL CHIC umbrellas have been seen on THE TODAY SHOW as well as in the hands of celebrities like Cate Blanchett. Soleil Chic umbrellas are endorsed by top doctors including a dermatologist, rheumatologist, plastic surgeon and professor of anatomy and neurobiology. The Mayo Clinc recommends Lynn Rose’s umbrellas as well. Top resort/spas such as the Ritz-Carlton, Lake Las Vegas, and The Fairmont Kea Lani, Maui, carry her products. Soleil Chic’s worldwide customer base continues to increase every day.

Visit the website @ soleilchic.com soleilchic.com

Related posts

• You Can’t Buy Good Health-Or Can You? 5 Cost-Effective Ways To Protect Yourself Against Skin Cancer (0)
• What You Should Do If You Think You Have Cancer (0)
• What You Need to Know About Skin Cancer Prevention (0)
• What is Skin Cancer and Who is Most at Risk? (0)
• What is Melanoma? (0)

Tags: melanoma, skin cancer

If you don’t know by now: Wear Your Sunscreen! Suncreen with SPF 15 or higher can significantly reduce the possibility of melanomas, the malignant tumors that contribute to skin cancer. The good news is that melanomas, when recognized and treated early, are almost 100% curable. The big problem with malignant melanomas lies in their being ignored, undetected or untreated, causing the cancer to spread elsewhere in the body. In 2007, the United States population is estimated at encountering close to 60,000 new instances of melanoma, according to the American Cancer Society.

Self-examination is the best way to combat these melanomas. Your Dermatologist can provide professional care annually and instruct you on how to competently check your body for melanomas. These self-exams should be performed monthly, looking out for two kinds of moles, normal moles (round, brown blemishes or “beauty marks”) and dysplastic nevi (atypical moles). If there is a history of melanoma in your family, you are at a greater risk for skin cancer. There are three main types of skin cancer; basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and melanoma. Self-examination gives you a higher chance of catching unusual moles and potentially saving your life. If, upon examining, you find any moles that are raised, bleeding, oddly shaped or different than the last time you checked them, see your Dermatologist immediately. A good rule of thumb is to follow the skin cancer ABCDE rule.

A- asymmetry: look for abnormalities in symmetry – does it look the same on both sides?

B-border: blurry, uneven or rough edges in an early melanoma

C- color- multi colored moles or moles that have changed color. Moles can range from brown, black, tan, red, white, blue, pink, purple or gray.

D- diameter- Melanomas are typically larger than your average mole, about the size of a pencil eraser or larger than 1-4 “ in diameter.

E- Elevation/Evolving- any mole that has an uneven surface, is raised or changes in color, shape or size should be brought to your doctor’s attention. Additionally, bleeding, scabbing or itching are also warning signs of potential melanoma.

Men and women should pay close attention to areas of the body that are repeatedly exposed to the most sun including the chest, neck, tips of the ears, face, hands, back and lower legs, forearms and shoulders. Dangerous UVA and UVB rays from the sun and repeated exposure to these rays can effectuate skin cancer. If you live in a very sunny climate, like Australia, Arizona or Florida you are at a higher risk for skin cancer. If you have experienced major sunburns as a child, this can also be a contributing factor. It is very important to shield yourself from the sun with protective clothing, high SPF sunscreen (15, 30 or higher) and wear it on your face daily. Even in Winter! If you have pale skin, are susceptible to sunburns, have light-colored eyes, work outside in the sun often, use tanning booths, or have many existing moles you are at a higher risk of contracting skin cancer. People who have had chemotherapy or diseases such as HIV, lymphoma or other immune system destructive diseases are also at a higher risk for melanoma.

Eric Hartwell oversees “The World’s Best Homepage” intended to be a user-generated resource where YOUR opinion counts. Anybody can contribute and all are welcomed. Visit us to read, comment upon or share opinions on theworldsbesthomepage.com/blog/category/health/ health and visit our associated site free-content-resource.com articles for free.

Related posts

• What is Skin Cancer and Who is Most at Risk? (0)
• What is Melanoma? (0)
• What Every Woman Should Know About Breast Cancer (0)
• Think Of Skin Cancer When Doing Household Jobs (0)
• The Skinny on Skin Cancer (0)

Tags: chemotherapy, lymphoma, melanoma, skin cancer

Melanoma is a malignant tumor that originates in the melanocytes. These cells are responsible for generating melanin, the pigment that gives color to skin, hair and eyes. This pigment is the strongest in moles. It is due to this reason that melanomas are usually brown or black in color. Sometimes, melanomas stop producing the pigment and appear red, pink, and even skin-colored. According to the National Cancer Institute, melanoma is a serious cancer of the skin. Every year, there are about 60,000 people diagnosed with malignant melanoma.

There are reports that document the varying survival rates in children, in contrast to the melanomas in adults. Earlier, it was considered an uncommon phenomenon infecting children. Recently, the number of cases has risen from 3 per million in 1982 to almost 7 per million in 2002. On an average, about 500 kids are getting diagnosed with melanoma each year. Melanoma rarely occurs in children under 10 years of age. Among children in the age group of 10 to 14 years, the incidence is only 0.3 per 100,000. It is recorded as 1.3 per 100,000, in children between the ages of 14 and 19.

The treatment of malignant melanoma in children is done through surgery. Excisional biopsies are performed to detect suspected lesions. If the malignancy is confirmed histologically, a biopsy is performed. It includes the complete thickness of the dermis, to assist measurement of the depth of tissue invasion. Once the diagnosis is successfully done, surgical excision within adequate margins is performed.

Parents need not panic for every minor skin imperfection detected in their children. Nonetheless, melanoma is a serious form of cancer and needs immediate detection. This helps in curing the disease at the initial stage. People need to be aware of moles or birthmarks that may have characteristics of melonama.

e-Melanoma.com Melanoma provides detailed information on Melanoma, Malignant Melanoma, Melanoma Cancer, Nodular Melanoma and more. Melanoma is affiliated with i-Ozone.com Ozone Generator.

Related posts

• You Can’t Buy Good Health-Or Can You? 5 Cost-Effective Ways To Protect Yourself Against Skin Cancer (0)
• What You Should Do If You Think You Have Cancer (0)
• What You Need to Know About Skin Cancer Prevention (0)
• What To Do When Your Spouse Is Diagnosed With Skin Cancer - First 5 Things You Should Do (0)
• What is Skin Cancer and Who is Most at Risk? (0)

Tags: melanoma

Cancer is a scary subject and comes in many forms. Skin cancer is one of the more prevalent versions and, unfortunately, one most people do not take seriously enough.

Imagine sitting in a doctor’s office and being told you have cancer. Although cancer treatment has come a long way, it would still be a devastating moment. Are you going to die? Is it curable? Why you? These are the types of questions that will undoubtedly come to mind immediately. With many forms of cancer, there is a certain luck of the draw element as to why you get them. Skin cancer, however, is one you can take steps to avoid.

What is skin cancer? It is a malignant growth on the skin, typically forming on the epidermis or outer layer of the skin. It is often associated with repeated sun burns or extensive exposure to the sun over time. It is also becoming more common due to increased ultraviolet radiation penetration in the atmosphere.

Skin cancer typically can be categorized in three ways. Malignant melanoma is the worst and is fatal if not diagnosed and treated early. It is, however, the least prevalent of the categories. Basal cell carcinoma is the most common, has a hereditary element and is rarely fatal. It tends to be isolated and is often treated with surgery or topical chemotherapy. Squamous cell carcinoma is a form of cancer that occurs on both the skin and internal organs. It can be caused by many things including exposure to the sun and can metastasize or spread through the body.

The nature of skin cancer is such that it often can be avoided if precautionary steps are taken. If you enjoy laying on the beach or working outside, using proper sun block is simple and effective. The key is to use it liberally and frequently. While this seems like common sense, the sheer number of skin cancer cases reported each year indicate that people are not using it. Laziness is most likely the cause. If you fall in this category, do your really want to risk skin cancer, particularly malignant melanoma that can kill you?

If you are going to be out in the sun, whether skiing, sitting on a beach, hiking or working, make sure to protect yourself. Using sun screen is a minor task that can prevent big problems.

John Grimes is with All Terrain - makers of natural

Related posts

• What Every Woman Should Know About Breast Cancer (0)
• Your Lifestyle and Your Risk for Bladder Cancer (0)
• What is Skin Cancer and Who is Most at Risk? (0)
• What is Melanoma? (0)
• Think Of Skin Cancer When Doing Household Jobs (0)

Tags: cancer treatment, chemotherapy, melanoma, skin cancer

According to the 2007 report of the World Health Organization, the next thirty years will witness a significant global rise, in the number of deaths due to non-communicable diseases, especially cancer. This prediction is mainly due to the ageing of the population of the world.

However, even without that bit of news, we are aware of cancer being a major killer. But we do know that a cancer, when detected in its earliest stages, is generally curable. Hence, it is advisable to make sure that we are privy to various kinds of cancer information.

To begin with, it helps if you know about the different common types of cancer. Among the most common are bladder cancer, breast cancer, colon cancer, skin cancer, and prostate cancer.

Leukemia is another common type, where the cancer forms in the tissues where blood is formed, such as in the bone marrow. This then leads to the production of a large number of blood cells, and these large numbers of blood cells then enter the blood stream.

If you have a suspicious looking mole, you really should have it checked, as you do not want to risk it’s being cancerous. It may be nothing, but you really should not sit on it worrying that it might be melanoma. The word “melanoma” comes from “melanocytes”. Melanocytes are the cells in which melanin pigment is formed. Melanoma is a type of skin cancer that begins in these cells.

NHL (Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma) is yet another common form of cancer. This refers to a the growth of a large group of cancers that affect the immunity system. The symptoms of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma are those of fever and weight loss, a sure sign that the immunity system has been affected. This is a cancer that can affect any age group, and its treatment is completely dependent on the stage of detection of the cancer.

Of course, these are only a few of the many kinds of cancers that afflict people all over the world. There are cancers that can be easily treated, and those that cannot. On the Internet, there are various sites that are devoted to providing cancer information. So you have the official sites, websites created by cancer specialists, and sites created and maintained by people who have either battled cancer or know people who have.

So, at least if you are looking for basic information, there are a large number of authoritative websites that provide cancer information. Prepare yourself with all the cancer information that you can, so that you will be better placed to deal with the countless problems that a cancer brings in its wake.

The author Ajeet Khurana recommends cancer-info-resource.com Cancer Information, oohoi.com/healthy_living/vitamin-info/zinc-vitamins.htm Zinc Vitamins, and oohoi.com/healthy_living/vitamin-info/skin-vitamins.htm Skin Vitamins.

Related posts

• Cancer Causes (0)
• What is Cancer? (0)
• Type of Cancer (0)
• Recognizing and Preventing Cancer (0)
• Modifying Cells to Fight Skin Cancer? (0)

Tags: breast cancer, colon cancer, leukemia, lymphoma, melanoma, prostate cancer, skin cancer