MELANOMA
Q: My father died of melanoma several years ago. I was wondering, what is the risk for me?
A: Melanoma is a form of skin cancer that can be very aggressive and life-threatening. It used to be a death sentence not very many years ago, but recent improvements in treatments have significantly improved the prognosis. It is very important to take good care of your skin to try to keep the risk low. It can show up anywhere on the body, but usually sun exposed areas. Sunscreen is the most important thing you can do for skin that is exposed to the sun. It is especially important for children, as we think that sun damage as a child is a very important risk for melanoma, later. To get coverage at the beach, an adult will require the equivalent of a shot glass full of sunscreen. That is more than most people use. Sunlamps significantly increase the risk. There is a higher risk of melanoma from sunlamps than there is lung cancer from smoking. Any change in size, shape or color of a mole or other skin growth- such as a birthmark- is important to monitor. Have your spouse do an all-over exam every few months to look for changes. If changes are noticed, it is a good idea to see your health care provider.
Dr. Rick Casey
Questions can be submitted directly to the providers, called in to Mercy Clinic at 417/876-5851 or submitted through their new App mymercy.net.
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