Janet -- Jo -- How are the people you know you had Melanoma? Are they OK? Also, my dermatologist did not say anything about skin cancer being genetic. She said it was from being sunburned when I was a kid/young.
Yes, both of them are fine. The woman I know was told hers was related more to the fact that she was fair skinned and a sun worshipper as a teen. She is pale with lots of freckles and red hair. She had some scraped from her nose *I think*three times and later something from her back. She's doing fine, it never spread. And her first surgery was about 17 years ago.
The man I know is a 2nd grade teacher here in town and the brother in law of one of my best friends. He first had something removed from his nose and shoulder about 8 years ago. There was a danger that it had spread at some point, under several layers of his skin. But it was biopsied and parts of it were removed and he is doing well. At one point, he had to have treatments, however I am not sure what they were. Those only lasted 60 days and after that he had the surgery to remove some layers of his skin on his arm. BUt since since then he's been doing really great. That was about 4 years ago. His DR said that his was related moreso to his genetics since apparently other family members had varying degrees of skin cancers.
Sue, I have spoken with my DR many times about it because I've always been worried about my own exposure to the sun. I am olive skinned and always turned real dark in the summers as a child. My sisters and I used to slather on baby oil and lie on an aluminum screen to get as much sun as possible! As I got older, I began to burn first, then tan. I never used sunscreen and started to a few years ago when I noticed that I burned faster and it lasted longer than it ever had before.
Then I read an article in a natural health magazine that said the sunscreens are worse for you than the sun. I don't use sunscreens when hanging around my yard, working in the garden, or lying out by the pool. My Dr said it was unnecessary. However, she strongly urged me to use sunscreen when I'm at the beach or in it's rays for long periods of time like when at an outdoor fair, on a boat, etc. She also agreed that sun is better for us than sunscreens, but that many people with fair to moderate skin tones need to be especially careful. And finally she said that there are no
definitive determining factors as to why some people get it and other don't. She used my parents as her example: My dad was always working in the sun without his shirt on, he and my mom spent all summers outdoors in the direct sunlight, then they moved to Phoenix Arizona to retire and spent nearly every single day out in the sun. Neither of them ever developed skin cancer. My mom is real fair and my dad is real olive toned.
Regardless of the reasons behind it, there are some very innovative treatments out there and it's great that you caught it early. Sending more prayers your way for a full and speedy recovery.
