Sun Safety — Is It Really Just a Mole?
In 2003, high school sophomore Jacqueline (Jacky) S. found out that she had Stage 3 malignant melanoma. Jacky was 15. In 2001, Shonda Schilling, the wife of Boston Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling, found out she had Stage 2 malignant melanoma. At the time, she was 33 years old. Fortunately for both Mrs. Schilling and Jacky, they received medical care in time to save their lives. (Melanoma consists of melanocytes, which have been transformed into cancer cells that grow uncontrollably. American Cancer Society, Inc.©2001)
After living through possibly the scariest times of their lives, they both decided to use their harrowing experiences to advocate for sun safety. The sun was the culprit causing each of the cancers. And because of their desire to help prevent what happened to them from happening to others, their paths eventually crossed.
What could these two people have in common besides cancer? After all, one was a busy teenager, whose days were filled with school, playing soccer, running track, and hanging out with her friends. The other was the mother of three small children and the wife of a well-known professional baseball player — who has sat in the bleaches at many of his games cheering him on.
Looking closer into their lives, you can find many commonalities. They both lived in Phoenix, Arizona; spent long hours in the sun because of sports; enjoyed hanging out at swimming pools; thought getting a sun tan would make them look good; had many moles on their body; didn't use sunscreen protection and did not know that excessive sun exposure could cause skin cancer or that some forms of skin cancer could be fatal. They each have decided to share their stories with others in the hope of preventing the further spread of this fatal cancer — melanoma.
(To read the complete text, see "Positive Teens" May/June 2004 issue.)
"It only takes one sunburn to cause a skin cancer — that one sunburn when you're a kid."
Shonda Schilling
The SHADE Foundation
TIPS
- Excessive sun or sun exposure can cause skin cancer — avoid getting sunburned.
- Be aware of your body and any moles.
- If you have moles, get regular medical examinations.
- Wear sunscreen protection applying every two hours.
- SPF = sun-protection factor (range of SPF can be 15 to 50)
- The SPF number determines how long it will take for the skin to turn read (burn), not if the product is better than another.
- Spray-on tan is a great alternative to looking tanned.
- Wear protective clothing such as sunglasses and hats.
- Skin cancer unchecked can spread to vital organs of the body such as lungs and the brain.
QUESTIONS?
To learn more about skin cancer and melanoma, log on to the following Web sites:
Melanoma Education Foundation
http://skincheck.com
The Skin Cancer Foundation
http://www.skincancer.org
The SHADE Foundation
http://www.shadefoundation.org
MedicineNet.com
http://www.medicinenet.com/Melanoma/article.htm http://www.medicinenet.com/Sun_Protection_and_Sunscreens/page1.htm http://www.medicinenet.com/Freckles/article.htm
American Academy of Dermatology
http://www.aad.org
* Reprinted from Positive Teens Magazine Volume 4 Issue 6, Nov/Dec 2002
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