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.