A friend of ours died last week - the killer was skin cancer. This insidious disease sneaks up on you, little by little, day by day, especially while living here in this high desert environment. The ultraviolet rays from the sun are a silent danger that we don't always recognize - until it's too late that is.
According to a National Cancer Institute booklet, "40 to 50 percent of Americans who live to age 65 will have skin cancer at least once. Some 600,000 people in the U.S. develop skin cancer each year."
Scary, huh? I had a nasty encounter with this threatening disease and I'd like to spread the word to increase awareness about the dangers of overexposure to the sun. I know it has certainly changed my life and now I'll forever try to reduce my exposure time to the sun's damaging rays.
The dermatologist I went to gave me a hard time. He said, "You've been lying in the sun." I denied it. So he asked again, "You've been in a tanning booth?" I denied ever being near one.
He didn't like my tan. My tan's not caused by lying in the sun; it's due to my year-round time outdoors working and playing. You can't just stay locked in the house all the time and not have fun. The doctor checked a rough, brown, scaly patch on my nose. Sometimes it would bleed. "A sore that does not heal" - one of the classic cancer danger signals. That's why I went to see him.
My sore turned out to be a squamous cell carcinoma. It's faster growing than the more common basal cell carcinoma, so I'm thankful we caught it early. The doctor got it all with a punch biopsy, but I regret not wearing sunscreen every time that I've been exposed for very long. Maybe then the cells wouldn't have mutated into cancer. It's important that skin cancers be found and treated early when they are almost always curable.
We should examine our bodies regularly and look for any changes on the skin, especially a new growth or a sore that doesn't heal or a mole that changes in appearance. If you find something suspicious, go to your physician.
Your skin has probably already been damaged from past sun exposure but there are some simple ways to protect yourself from further damage. Doctors say to limit your time in the sun, wear UV sunglasses, a long-sleeved shirt, long pants, gloves and a wide-brimmed hat. And, No. 1, an effective sunscreen. It may seem like a lot of trouble, but healthy skin is worth it.
As we walk or drive along our back country roads here in Fish Springs, we see many of our neighbors out weeding their gardens, grooming their horses, walking their dogs or riding their bikes. All the while the sun continues to shine down on them while an unseen risk lies hidden in its rays - skin cancer. Beware.
-- Linda Monohan may be reached at 782-5802.
