Skin cancer is everywhere in the US. It outnumbers every other cancer combined.
Melanoma, though, is the bad kind. It kills people. It’s rising in younger folks, especially women.
Here’s the bright side? If you catch it early, the odds are great. About 99 percent survival.
Jennifer Stein, MD, knows this well. She says usually, you find the spot. You cut it out. Case closed.
But cases don’t always stay that simple.
The Foot Check
Witney Carson was nineteen. Just starting Dancing with the Stars. Life was good. The dream was happening.
Her mom looked at her foot. Saw a mole. It looked like a strawberry. Red. Wrong.
Her parents both had skin cancer before. So she didn’t wait.
“It came back positive for melanoma,” Witney says. Things got serious. Fast.
The Weird One Wins
You’re not looking for the big ugly mass necessarily.
You’re looking for the impostor.
Dr. Stein calls it “the spot that doesn’t belong.” You might have a dozen moles. Ten of them are the same. The eleventh one is different? Color change? Bleeding?
“Hurting, you think it’s a pimple, but it’s not acting like one.”
If it doesn’t go away? Go to a doctor. Now.
Who Needs To Watch What?
Depends.
Some people have more risk than others. Had skin cancer before? Family history of melanoma? A lot of moles? “Funny-looking” moles?
Sun exposure counts. Indoor tanning beds count. Certain meds that lower your immune system? They count.
“Those are the markers you track,” Dr. Stein says.
It Hides in Plain Sight
Men usually get it on their back.
Women? Often the leg.
But don’t limit your search. Check between your toes. Check the soles of your feet. Check your palms. Even inside a nail.
“Look everywhere.”
The Burst Burn
Basal cell and squamous cancers love the face. Places that get roasted by the sun daily.
Melanoma is tricky. It likes places covered by clothes. Until you go to Florida.
Then you take the shirt off. Get a massive burn. A “burst” of sun on previously protected skin.
That’s where melanoma loves to hide.
The Fear Factor
Getting the news terrifies people.
Naturally.
But panic leads to over-testing. Dr. Stein suggests photos. Snap pictures of your skin over time. Track the changes visually.
It saves anxiety. It saves unnecessary biopsies.
The Interruption
For Witney, timing was cruel.
She was about to go on as a pro on the show. Then the doctor said no. Surgery was next. No delays.
“It took a big emotional toll.”
She healed though. She came back.
Now? She’s cancer-free.
“I’m on my mission to share this story.”
Kids Complicate Everything
Having children changed her routine.
“I get checked yearly.” She checks her kids constantly. Skin cancer is hereditary. It runs in the family.
She stays sharp.
The Sunscreen Split
Not all sunscreens are created equal.
Two types. Mineral and Chemical.
Mineral means zinc oxide or titanium oxide. It sits on top of you. It blocks the sun physically. Might leave a white cast. So what. It works.
Chemical absorbs the UV energy. Dr. Stein sees it differently, but the bottom line is the same: use whatever protects you.
Still, it’s just the “last line of defense.”
Don’t Fear The Sun
Here is the hard truth.
You shouldn’t hate the sun.
Witney and Dr.stein agree on this. We are outside creatures.
“I don’t want people to be scared.”
Just be smart. Wear the gear. Wear the lotion. Watch your skin.
Is it possible to enjoy life outdoors without the risk? Maybe not.
But ignoring it isn’t an option either.
