A few months ago, I was ripped out of my college bubble. Surprisingly, the person to do so was my doctor, and it happened at my last dermatologist appointment. I even cried.
My tears were not for the poison ivy that I was infected with, but because the doctor took one look at my skin and explained how my life was seriously at risk because of skin cancer.
I’ll admit, that along with most of you, I spend my days mostly concerned with the present time; what party to go to tonight, what homework to finish before my 2:00 p.m. class, basically simple worries and simple questions.
In reality though, there is so much knowledge that our generation is either unaware of or really just doesn’t care to learn about.
“People know that tanning and smoking are bad for them, but they do them anyway. They care more about their image than their health,” said Meghan Powers, ’04.
We aren’t invincible ten-year-olds anymore, and mommy and daddy aren’t always going to be able to protect us. We need to start caring about not only our personal needs, but our health needs as well.
“What happens with the college students is that there is a curve of independence, where there is no one reminding them to take vitamins, or in this case, wear sunscreen,” said Jeanne DiMuzio, director of wellness and prevention.
Being tan and “looking good” should not be a priority in our lives; instead, taking care of our minds, bodies, and souls should be.
One crucial thing to realize is that everyone can get skin cancer.
“Skin cancer is deadly,” said DiMuzio. “It is a very aggressive disease.”
Many people with risk factors never develop cancer, and others with the disease have no known risk factors at all. More teenagers and young adults are being diagnosed with skin cancer than ever before.
“People aren’t being smart and wearing sunscreen these days. It’s not that hard to put on sunscreen,” said Mike Lee, ’03.
According to the American Academy of Dermatology, someone dies from melanoma every hour. Melanoma is a type of skin cancer and it is the most deadly.
In 2002, there will be about 87,900 new cases of melanoma and an estimated 9,600 will actually die from skin cancer. Knowledge about skin cancer is so vital because incidences of melanoma have more than tripled among Caucasians alone since 1980.
Skin cancer is usually caused by unprotected ultraviolet radiation exposure to the area of the skin that develops the cancer.
Most of this radiation comes from the sunlight, but it can also come from artificial light, ionizing radiation (which can be a form of x-rays) and also chemicals.
The disease begins when there is damage to our DNA. Besides carrying genetic information that controls our appearance, DNA also contains information that tells the cells of our body how to grow and how to perform all the metabolic activities needed for life.
When ultraviolet radiation causes damage to these DNA cells, they are less capable of being able to control how and when our cells grow and divide. This is extremely dangerous because cancer develops when cells in a part of our body begin to grow out of control.
“Along with going to the dentist once a year,” said DiMuzio, “you should also go to the dermatologist once a year.”
It is important to check for skin cancer, preferably once a month. Begin to learn the pattern of moles, blemishes, freckles, and other marks on your skin so that you’ll notice any changes.
A change in a mole, a sore that doesn’t heal, a skin growth that increases in size, and a spot that continues to itch, hurt, and scab are all possibilities of skin cancer.
“I went to the dermatologist and had a mole that was changing colors on my back. They told me to get it removed. If I didn’t, they said it could have grown into cancer,” said Jonathan Kenyon, ’03.
Some people are more at risk than others for getting skin cancer. People who tend to burn, never tan, and have fair skin with red or blonde hair, green or blue eyes, and freckles, have a greater chance of developing the disease.
This year I have the wonderful opportunity of living at the beach. But that also means I have the unfortunate opportunity to watch most of my friends bathe in the sun, thinking that skin cancer doesn’t apply to them.
Well, here is some advice, it does apply to you! Being tan might be important to you now, but it will probably be a serious regret when you are older.
“Being tan is actually a very disgusting thing. When you think of the cause of the tan, you can see how unhealthy sunbathing is,” said Jonathan Mackin, ’03.
In fact, tanning will make your skin more wrinkled. You might also be diagnosed with skin cancer and have to undergo surgery and receive radiation treatments like my father had to.
In the worst cases though, this cancer can take your life. Like my doctor said, “It is a matter of life and death.”
I wish I was naïve, so I could think that everyone after reading this article would actually understand the dangers of skin cancer and take the necessary precautions.
I’m not naïve though, and I know that so many of you, including my friends, will continue to go to tanning salons and lay out in the sun.
Please, at least have some intelligence about it, and take the necessary precautions.
Unlike some other cancers, skin cancer can be prevented. The Skin Cancer Foundation explains how you can protect yourself:
1. Do not sunbathe. 2. Avoid unnecessary sun exposure, especially between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. 3. Use sunscreen rated SPF 15 or higher. 4. Wear protective clothing such as long pants, long-sleeved shirts, broad-brimmed hats, and UV protective sunglasses. 5. Stay away from artificial tanning devices. 6. Have periodic checkups with the dermatologist.
Important facts about skin cancer:
1. More than half of all new cancers are skin cancers. 2. Melanoma is more common than any non-skin cancer among women between 25 and 29 years old. 3. People recieve most of their lifetime sun exposure before the age of 18. 4. Just one blistering sunburn in childhood is estimated to double the risk of melanoma later in life. 5. Sunglasses can prevent benign and malignant growths on the eyelid skin and on the surface of the eye. 6. About one of every ten patients has a family member with a history of the disease.
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