~ PREVENTION DEPARTMENT ~

    This is Emma and she is worth saving from Melanoma!

 Source: A loving grandmother and an eight year Melanoma survivor.

"We were guided by the knowledge that the damaging effects of sunlight can occur many years before tumors appear."



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My Observations and Suggestions:

PREVENTION means avoiding the risk factors and increasing the protective factors that can be controlled so that the chance of developing cancer decreases.  Melanoma and other skin cancers are highly preventable!

 

NEVER...EVER...GET SUNBURNED OR ALLOW YOUR CHILDREN TO GET SUNBURNED...NOT EVEN ONCE!
 WebMD - Melanoma Skin Cancer Risks New evidence reveals that even moderate sunburn increases the risk of developing melanoma!

 

As a young girl growing up in Kansas, I was exposed daily to the suns damaging rays.  Often I would seek relief from the punishing sun, by sitting in the only shade available....under an old evaporation type water cooler.  The dripping water on my parched skin, cooled the temperature in my body.

 

As I ventured back into the sunshine, blisters formed on my cheeks and nose and I remember popping them, allowing the water from them to dampen my face.

 

That was in 1943.  I was 5 years old and no one knew about the danger of blistering sunburns. That ignorance and lack of information may be what eventually takes my life.

 

Sadly in 2005, young people and adults flock to tanning salons and beaches determined to obtain the golden glow promoted to make them irresistible and beautifully sexy.  The tragedy is that today, they have the information and choose to seek the instant gratification anyway.

 

The American Academy of Dermatology lists pros and cons of using tanning beds:
Pros:
     "Frankly, there aren't any.  Our advice:  Skip them altogether and invest in a bottle of self-tanner if you're itching for a summery glow."
Cons:
Tanning beds give you skin cancer.  Even moderate tanning can cause skin cancer, including melanoma, the deadliest form.
Tanning beds are responsible for the increase in skin cancer cases.  More than 1.3 million new cases will be diagnosed in the U.S. this year, many brought on by tanning-bed use.
Tanning beds make your skin wrinkled and leathery. They emit mainly UVA radiation, the rays responsible for tanning---not to mention premature skin aging, melanoma and immune system damage.

 

WARNING:  The FDA and CDC encourage people to avoid tanning beds.  The AMA and AAD are urging legal action that would ban the use of tanning beds by anyone under 18 and except for use for medical purposes for adults as well. Some states have adopted the "under 18 without parental consent" regulation.

 

If you or your child is buying into this deadly pastime, please go to the Treatment Department and study my post operative photographs.  I hope the reality of what their choices can cause, will be the impetus to stop tempting fate. And so far, I am one of the lucky ones.  I am an 8 year survivor of melanoma!

 

 

FACT:  Melanoma is the #1 cause of cancer death in women 25-30 years old.

 

FACT:  A tan is the skin's response to injury.

 

FACT: MELANOMA CAN AND DOES KILL, HOWEVER WHEN CAUGHT EARLY, IT IS TREATABLE.

 

FACT: "In the 15-29 year old age group the incidence of Melanoma has increased 50% in the past 25 years."
    Quote from CBS Evening News with Dan Rather, August 9, 2002.

 

FACT: The use of tanning beds DOUBLES  the risk of getting skin cancer. LONG TERM USERS INCREASE THEIR RISK OF HAVING SKIN CANCER BY 8 TIMES!

 

FACT: Melanoma is not "just skin cancer."  The doctor does not "just cut it off."

 

FACT: On average, a person receives about 80% of their lifetime exposure by the time they are 18.
               Source: Melanoma Research Foundation
Commit these FACTS to memory and remember sun damage is CUMULATIVE AND NOT REVERSIBLE!

 

DID YOU KNOW?

 

Did you know 3 blistering sunburns before the age of 8 increases the chance for developing Melanoma by 50%?

 

Did you know one person dies every hour of every day in this country from Melanoma?

 

Did you know that in women between the ages of 29 and 34, Melanoma is diagnosed more often than breast cancer?

 

Did you know that Melanoma causes more cancer deaths in women between 25 and 30 than any other cancer?

 


Plan outdoor activities to avoid the sun's strongest rays, generally between 10 AM and 4 PM.
Wear protective covering such as broad brimmed hats, long pants and long sleeves.
Wear sunglasses that provide 100% UV ray protection.
Wear broad spectrum sunscreen/sun block with SPF of 30 or more. Reapply as indicated on the label, including after perspiring, swimming, toweling off or after 1 hour.

 

Do you really understand SPF ratings?  I doubt it!
For full explanation of how protected your really are,