Let the Sun Shine on Melanoma

When I was a teenager, I loved to sunbathe. Warm sunshine on my face and the sweet smell of baby oil made the afternoons fly by.  My tan skin was a source of pride, but now the memory of so much “sun worshipping” is a source of concern. Those golden days have been replaced by the joys of taking care of my 89-year-old mom’s skin, among other things. Instead of baby oil, I now slather my skin and everyone’s around me with SPF 30 sunscreen taking care of our skin as part of a healthy, happy routine.

This caregiving journey with my mom has included visiting the wrinkly terrain of older skin with all its odd moles, warts, and flakiness. Each day, I spread joy as well as lotion over Mom, but personal care isn’t always easy. In a nutshell, as every honest caregiver knows, my days involve hair combing for Mom, and sometimes hair pulling for me.

Mom had a simple beauty routine. She slathered Vaseline on her face. She used this unusual program until she had to go on oxygen. Apparently using Vaseline was risky because it was petroleum-based and could be flammable with the oxygen, causing burns or worse. Heaven knows, I didn’t want Mom to combust right in front of me!  We adopted other lotions, creams, and even lavender essential oil, which lifted her spirits. We tried advanced skin therapy lotions.   We sampled lotions that were enriched with vitamins E, B, and lipids. There is a dazzling array of products to help older skin defy, well, itself. All was well until we found The Spot.

One fine day when I was ritually moisturizing, soothing, smoothing, and coating Mom with lotions, I noticed a dry, reddish, dime-sized spot on her forehead. I also found a one-inch hair popping out of a mole and wondered how long has that been there…. another profound caregiving moment! I lovingly dabbed the area with lotion for several days, but The Spot stayed. I asked her doctor to check it. We were grateful to know it wasn’t cancer, but the doctor and I did talk about the subject you are waiting to hear about: melanoma.

According to the American Cancer Society, “More people are diagnosed with skin cancer each year in the U.S. than all other cancers combined.” Melanoma is a kind of skin cancer, and even though it is less common than other types of skin cancer, it is more dangerous since it has a greater chance of spreading to other parts of the body if not caught early. Melanoma accounts for approximately 1% of skin cancers, but it causes a major portion of skin cancer deaths. 

So how do you spot those nasty melanoma spots? There are some easy ways to find potential melanomas, handily alphabetized for older brains to remember. If you still know the first five letters of the alphabet, you can stand guard like a sentinel to spot those haywire melanomas. Here they are:

• A stands for Asymmetry:  Melanomas tend to be asymmetrical. Think of it this way: if the melanoma was a little pancake, and you folded it over, the edges wouldn’t match. Regular moles are round or oval, and symmetrical.
• B stands for Border:  Melanoma borders are usually uneven.  The edges could have notched edges or scalloped shapes.  Regular moles have smoother, even borders.
• C stands for Color: Melanomas might come in shades of brown, tan, or black. Regular moles usually have a single color. Melanomas might even be red, white or blue, and not in a patriotic way. Watch out for moles of many colors.
• D stands for Dark or Diameter: If a mole is larger than the size of a pencil eraser (1/4 inch or 6 mm approximately) it’s a warning sign. Also, check out any mole that is darker than others.
• E stands for Evolving: Be aware of any mole that is changing or evolving. Any mole that bleeds, itches, or crusts should be checked to be sure it isn’t melanoma.

Even though dealing with cancer is never a fairy tale, there is another way to identify potential trouble spots. Remember the story of the ugly duckling? Well surprisingly, that tale can help you spot potential melanomas. Watch out for ugly duckling moles. These are moles that don’t resemble the other moles on your body. Just as the ugly duckling didn’t look like the other birds, these suspicious spots might be smaller or larger, darker or lighter, compared to other moles. Think of it as looking for an odd type of treasure…well, maybe not a treasure, but at least something to check with your doctor.

Even though melanoma is serious, the good news is that when it is found early and treated, the 5-year survival rate is about 99 percent. Melanoma can often be detected early, which means good news for beneficial treatment. So, let the sun shine on melanoma, and learn more about it. In the meantime, keep an eye out for those suspicious spots. Meanwhile, be sure to slather yourself and your loved ones with SPF 30 sunscreen!

To learn more about melanoma clinical trials, visit BMSStudyConnect.com. The site provides patients and caregivers with information about how clinical trials work and how they might be part of making sure new medicines are effective and safe.

Endnotes:

According to the American Cancer Society:

Cancer Facts and Figures 2021. American Cancer Society. https://www.cancer.org/content/dam/cancer-org/research/cancer-facts-and-statistics/annual-cancer-facts-and-figures/2021/cancer-facts-and-figures-2021.pdf