Cancer from tanning

[Marigold2]

An ex--coworker and good friend called me today to inform me that she has melanoma on her back. Her surgery is scheduled for Friday.
Erin is 25. She spent years tanning.
Erin has the most precious little boy whom she loves above all souls and a wonderful fiance, many friends who love her dearly and a family who is so upset right now they can hardly think.
If you tan please think about this lovely, intelligent, funny and sweet young women. She has everything to live for and hopefully she will.

[Karen]

We will keep her in our prayers. I have often cautioned people about tanning, though when I was young, they'd just assume I was jealous because I only burn in the sun, anyway!

[wombat2u2004]

I hope they can catch it in time.

[Karen]

You know, when she is recovered, maybe she can turn her experiences to the good, and go to high schools and warn kids about tanning. I think that hearing form someone young and lovely that skin cancer has happened to her would have a lot more impact than teachers saying the same thing. I actually had one girl tell me - "that'll only happen when I'm old, and I won't care by then anyway."

[wombat2u2004]

Anyone, regardless of age should be checked for skin cancer at least once a year if they spend lots of time in the sun.
Melanoma is a silent killer.
As they say here downunder "Slip,slap, slop" the suncream on you.

Key statistics of incidence and mortality of skin cancer in Australia
Australia has the highest skin cancer incidence rate in the world.
Australians are four times more likely to develop a skin cancer than any other form of cancer.
Approximately two in three Australians will be diagnosed with skin cancer before the age of 70.

Melanoma
While melanoma is the least common type of skin cancer, it is the most life threatening form of skin cancer. In 2005, there were 10,684 new cases of melanoma, making it overall the fourth most common form of cancer in Australia.
Total deaths from melanoma were 1,272, making melanoma the ninth most common cause of cancer death.
Melanoma is also one of the most common cancers affecting youth in Australia.

Melanoma death and survival rates:

Over 1270 Australians die from melanoma each year – 862 men and 411 women.
Australians have a 1 in 253 chance of dying from melanoma – men have a 1 in 178 chance and women a 1 in 430 chance.
Male death rates from melanoma increased by 3.3% between 1993 and 2003.
Female death rates from melanoma increased by 9.1% between 1993 and 2003.
Relative five-year survival rates for melanoma are 90% for Australian males and 95% for Australian females. Survival rates have risen significantly since the early 1980s as a result of early detection.

[CountryWolf07]

Anyone, regardless of age should be checked for skin cancer at least once a year if they spend lots of time in the sun.
Melanoma is a silent killer.
As they say here downunder "Slip,slap, slop" the suncream on you.

Key statistics of incidence and mortality of skin cancer in Australia
Australia has the highest skin cancer incidence rate in the world.
Australians are four times more likely to develop a skin cancer than any other form of cancer.
Approximately two in three Australians will be diagnosed with skin cancer before the age of 70.

Melanoma
While melanoma is the least common type of skin cancer, it is the most life threatening form of skin cancer. In 2005, there were 10,684 new cases of melanoma, making it overall the fourth most common form of cancer in Australia.
Total deaths from melanoma were 1,272, making melanoma the ninth most common cause of cancer death.
Melanoma is also one of the most common cancers affecting youth in Australia.

Melanoma death and survival rates:

Over 1270 Australians die from melanoma each year – 862 men and 411 women.
Australians have a 1 in 253 chance of dying from melanoma – men have a 1 in 178 chance and women a 1 in 430 chance.
Male death rates from melanoma increased by 3.3% between 1993 and 2003.
Female death rates from melanoma increased by 9.1% between 1993 and 2003.
Relative five-year survival rates for melanoma are 90% for Australian males and 95% for Australian females. Survival rates have risen significantly since the early 1980s as a result of early detection.

Wow, that's very interesting.

[happylabs]

You know, when she is recovered, maybe she can turn her experiences to the good, and go to high schools and warn kids about tanning. I think that hearing form someone young and lovely that skin cancer has happened to her would have a lot more impact than teachers saying the same thing. I actually had one girl tell me - "that'll only happen when I'm old, and I won't care by then anyway."

Hope your friend makes out okay.

That is an excellent idea Karen. My daughter is 20 and she only occasionally goes to tan with a friend. I always try to discourage her. That is the typical response from a young person. For some reason they think they are invincible.

[wombat2u2004]

I think a lot of people don't really understand how deadly it is.
I lost both my father in law, and my father to it.
In the case of my father in law, who died some 34 years ago, when Karen was only 22 yo (that was before I knew her....so I never met him), he used to play golf a lot....he was nearly bald, and never wore a hat. So he copped it on the top of his head.
My father always used to wear shorts, and it started with him on the side of his leg......it was only a small black mark on his leg, but the doctors knew what it was and cut it out accordingly. But within 3 to 4 months he was dead. I remember they CAT scanned his whole body not long before he died, and on the scan was two white spots in his brain about the size of walnuts.
So yeah.....if you don't get it early enough, it gets into a vital organ, usually the brain, and ya done for.
Out of all the cancers, it's probably the most quickest and deadliest.

[Casper]

All of this is why I beg my mum not to tan.

My old math teacher was diagnosed with skin cancer (caused by tanning) a few years ago. Thankfully it was caught early enough that she is now cancer free. Hopefully your friend has a similar outcome.
Good vibes headed to Erin!

[Husky_mom]

Sending healing vibes to your friend...

I´m with Karen on this issue.. I just burn in the sun.. and it hurts.. so I avoid it

although I wonder about tanning salons.. are they safe?..

[pomtzu]

In my younger day, I was one that was in pursuit of that perfect tan. I spent hour upon hour laying in the sun without sunblock - in the yard, at the pool, by the ocean. I usually got a good burn at least once each season, and then tanned absolutely beautifully the rest of the time.

As I got older, I found it totally boring to be laying around in the sun, and usually after about a half hour, I was done. Add to that, I lost my tolerance of being in the sun much and the heat really bothered me. Unless I could lay on a raft in the pool, then I just avoided being in the sun altogether.

Tanning beds - not for me - and they seem to be worse than the actual sun from what I have read.

Both my father and brother had skin cancer on their backs. This came from working outside shirtless, and spending a lot of time on their boats in the summer. Add to that, my brother lived in FL for about 40 years, and got a longer and stronger dose of it than my New England father ever did.

I guess I consider myself fortunate that I never had any skin issues from my overexposure to the sun when I was younger, and the little bit that I do get out in the summer now, gives me enough of a tan to look "healthy" without going about it in an unhealthy way.

Best wishes to your friend, Marigold. Hoping that all works out well for her.


ETA - fortunately, both my father's and brother's were caught early - removed - and no recurrence.

[wombat2u2004]

I get checked out a lot.
Because my skin is very fair, I burn very easily and get quite a few skin cancers. So I go to my doctors just down the road about every three months, and she burns off any that she finds.
A couple of months ago I had one cut out of my right arm, five stitches I got.

I make an appointment at the Skin Cancer Clinic once a year at least, and drive the 1.5 hour distance. They do the full body check.

Trick is, to get rid of the earlier types of skin cancers before they turn into melanoma.

[Alysser]

My mom had not only breast cancer, but a less then a year later she got melanoma - not from tanning. She never did that. Luckily, it was the much less severe and very minor. I'm so sorry your young friend has to deal with this. Good thoughts going out to her, and her friends and family during this time. Please keep us updated on the matter.

[Kalei]

Hi Marigold, thanks for sharing about your friend with us.

I use to tan myself for about a year, and I have very pale skin, though I always tanned slowly but nicely. After awhile, I noticed I had new little moles coming out of my skin around my chest and neck, and that I was also getting more freckles on my arm and face.

Once I got pretty dark I also found that there are many spots on my back that have no coloration...so I looked like a cheetah from the back with my white spots.

Anyways, I decided after that to stop tanning and got those moles cut off by the doctor. I use to have the attitude as well that tanning isn't that bad and they say its better than the sun...but its not. It injures your skin way faster than our actual sun can...and it does cause cancer.

I've found that fair skinned people can be even prettier than tanned people If you want to match your fair skin well, find the perfect hair color to compliment your skin tone and the right color clothes, and the perfect make up and a pale skinned person can look so natural and beautiful

What made me finally stop tanning was when my friend said "Don't worry Kalei...White is where its at!" lol it made me laugh and realize I should love my natural color.

Well, I am sending many prayers for your friend that her surgery will go well and the cancer has not and will not spread...if she comes out all ok...tell her no more tanning and that white is where it's at!

[Karen]

Sending healing vibes to your friend...

I´m with Karen on this issue.. I just burn in the sun.. and it hurts.. so I avoid it

although I wonder about tanning salons.. are they safe?..

No. They are no safer than exposure to the sun, despite their marketing claims. A "tan" is, technically speaking, skin damage, and any dermatologist would confirm that.

I don't know about the safety of whatever chemicals are used in spray tans - that's different, but I do not know if that has issues of its own!