Northern California - A Cautionary Tale

I've had this mole on my right thigh for as long as I can remember. The last year, I've been looking at it and thinking, "Did that used to be so big?" and lately, "Did that used to be two different shades?" :wtf:

So I got myself to the Dermatologist, who excised it and sent it off to the Path Lab. The report came back, "Melanoma In Situ". :(

Scary name, but what it means is the least dangerous stage of the most deadly skin cancer, Melanoma. Basically, cut a wide margin around it, and it's gone - unlike the later stages, which are much, much harder to cure.

This morning, I had to go back and have a 1" by 3" ellipitical piece of skin removed. Since the skin has to be stretched pretty tight to cover the gap, I'm off the bike till December.

So, ALWAYS use a good sunscreen, especially if you're a pasty-faced descendent of Northern Europeans like me. AND keep an eye on any moles you might have.

:eek:

Glad you caught it early. FWIW, similar thing happened with my Mom about five years ago - they caught it early, carved it out, and she's fine. Here's hoping you have no more visits from that nasty, nasty melanoma thingy. He is definitely not your friend.

Glad you caught it early Doug. Many happy miles to you sir!

Twelve years ago on my 50th birthday my child bride of three years "gave" me an appointment for an annual physical. I couldn't remember the last one I had. Very seldom had I seen a doctor.

Long story short, I had a melanoma between my shoulder blades and one on the left side of my torso. If she had not set me up for a physical I probably wouldn't be typing this.

Pay attention to those blemishes if you can see them. If you can't see them get the SO to check the areas.

I've had a dermatologist appointment every year since. This thing sure got my attention. Glad you caught yours in time.

Best regards,

Mike :thumb:

I had a brother-in-law that had a lump in his groin for the longest time. Never did a thing about it. Was always too busy, "I'll get around to it..", blah, blah, blah. Doctors have a name for this; Single Male Syndrome.

At a doctors appointment for a different matter he casually asked his doctor to check out this lump. Basically the Doc freaked. Immediately sent him over to Stanford for diagnosis, tests, etc.

Turned out it was cancerous and had spread throughout his body. It was really f**ked up and we lost him six months later. I share this to applaud you and to urge everyone to get their checkups. Be concern about moles, lumps or mysterious items on or in your body.

And as the OP said, always use sunscreen.

BR

Glad to hear that you caught it so early. I had a bunch checked out a couple years ago and they were fine. I'm due to go back and have another check.

Scary! Keep a close eye on the area and other areas.

A very close friend has gone through this three times. The idiot doctor the first time around failed to inform her it was melanoma until it came back a couple of months later. She's very fair and had used sunscreen, but not every single day. Now she uses it on her entire body, every day.

Favorite sunscreen so far... Hawaiian Island Creations (http://www.hicsuncare.com/products.aspx). You can buy it by the gallon!

Good for you - I'm always mindful of this stuff too.


So, ALWAYS use a good sunscreen, especially if you're a pasty-faced descendent of Northern Europeans like me. AND keep an eye on any moles you might have.

...or especially if you ARE a pasty-faced Northern European like me.

Holy moley. (sorry for the pun.)
Glad you got it!

Scary, glad you caught it early!

So I got myself to the Dermatologist, who excised it and sent it off to the Path Lab. The report came back, "Melanoma In Situ". :(Yick & whew! Glad you caught it when you did. Good luck with the Clean Bill of Health.

As someone who a) has a strong history of Pasty Europeanism, b) has lots of cancer (melanoma and otherwise) in the family, and c) almost never uses sunscreen, I do try to keep an eye on moles. Scary stuff. http://www.bikeforums.net/mysmiliesvb/mysmilie_15.gif

Yick & whew! Glad you caught it when you did. Good luck with the Clean Bill of Health.

As someone who a) has a strong history of Pasty Europeanism, b) has lots of cancer (melanoma and otherwise) in the family, and c) almost never uses sunscreen, I do try to keep an eye on moles. Scary stuff. http://www.bikeforums.net/mysmiliesvb/mysmilie_15.gif

Given non-choices a and b, why do you choose c? 30 seconds to put on sunscreen seems like a small price to pay for peace of mind.

Thanks for the thoughts, folks! It's a little scary, but fortunately for this stage, with this treatment, 10 year survival is 100%. (I assume that's only related to melanoma - I'm still susceptible to being run over by a bus, for example). :rolleyes:

I always wear an SPF 50 sunscreen - NOW.

I put it on before putting on any cycling clothes, after the time I put it on later and missed a spot on my calf from not wanting to get sunscreen on my socks. Four hours in the sun later, I had a nice burn where my regular socks rub. YEEOUCH!

When I was a kid (I'm 52), what we had was "tanning lotion", which didn't really do much, so generally I didn't use it. I had a couple bad sunburns when i was a kid, but not REALLY bad, and not so much where the mole was - more neck and arms. I think in this case it was a susceptible mole, and enough sun exposure to make it want to kill me. ;)

BTW, the Dermo recommended some SPF70 sunscreen, with UVA and UVB protection. 'Neutrogena Ultimate Sport'. I'm gonna give it a try, but of course, it won't be until next spring and summer that the sun will be high enough to give it a real test. Plus, of course, there will be a lot less exposed skin the next few months!

BTW, the Dermo recommended some SPF70 sunscreen, with UVA and UVB protection. 'Neutrogena Ultimate Sport'. I'm gonna give it a try, but of course, it won't be until next spring and summer that the sun will be high enough to give it a real test. Plus, of course, there will be a lot less exposed skin the next few months!

it's up to at least 85 if not 100 SPF now. I use Neutrogena because it doesn't feel oily on my face. Usually get them @ Walmart.

Just read the ingredients when you buy sunscreen and don't go purely by SPF rating. As I understand it, it only indicates level of protection against UVB, sunburn, not UVA, DNA damage. So in theory a sun screen with high SPF rating can still not provide the protection people want against possible DNA damage.

UD

FWIW I like the REI SPF 50 sunscreen with the physical Titanium Dioxide element as well. You can get a 1oz squeeze bottle to carry on the bike and buy the rest in bulk.

Glad you caught it early! 3"x1" excision -- yikes! How big was the mole itself?

The Neutrogena stuff is great. No running into the eyes with their face sunscreen, not oily and seems to last a long time.

For years I thought fair-skinned people lost their pigmentation only because they didn't need as much protection from the sun since they lived in the northern latitudes. I didn't know until recently that having fair skin actually confers an advantage where the sun doesn't shine as brightly since it allows easier production of vitamin D. Of course when a person from a northern latitude moves to a Mediterranean region and starts spending a lot of time in the sun, that light skin becomes a disadvantage. I have a friend who went in for a checkup and they found out a mole UNDER HER ARM was malignant and had to be removed, so also be aware of parts of your body where the sun doesn't shine.

Some sanity on SPF numbers:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/14/fashion/14SKIN.html

Congrats on getting it taken care of in time!!

After seeing a couple of my moles change recently, I went to the Dermatologist for a check up. I ended up with 4 spots (2 are melanomas & 2 are basil cell carcinomas that are not as critical.) So far, I've had both melanomas (all at stage zero, thank goodness!) cut out and one basil cell, with one more to go. One of the melanomas was done twice to increase the margin. Dr says they cut out at least a centimeter all the way around the mole. They take no chances!

I'm ending up with 4 scars between 3 & 4 inches long. Have to stay off the bike for 10 days after each surgery. Not bad when you consider the alternatives.

Besides being of euro descent with fair skin & freckles, I did have a couple bad sunburns as a kid. According to the Dr. this could potentially have a bearing on why I'm having issues later on in my life.

I used to occasionally use SPF30 cheap stuff while riding longer rides. I've been riding 28 years, so I've seen my share of sun. Now, that I've been educated the hard way, I also use the Neutrogena Ultimate Sport (SPF 70+) and Aveeno Sunblock (SPF55) as much as possible. I'm also looking for cycling and outdoor wear that is the new fabrics that help block UV rays. Surprisingly, most do not.

Almost everyone knows somebody who has had melanoma and probably many that are no longer with us. It so important to get anything that is questionable checked out as soon as possible.

Keep on top of it with regular check ups too. Could save our lives.

Bergie

Some sanity on SPF numbers:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/14/fashion/14SKIN.html

This is why I focus more on the stuff that resists sweat more. Good article, had read it previously, but didn't seek it out to reference here.

Some eighteen years ago my GP referred me to dermatologist as afterthought, low priority, this after two week wait to have GP look at my itchy mole; five weeks later the dermatologist exclaimed, "Is that it, on your left shoulder? That's melanoma! We're taking that off today!" from across the room, as soon as I'd taken off my shirt!

Clark's #2, chances of survival, 70-72%

He was simply livid! Due to the seven weeks of delay, my chances of living decreased by some 15-20%, according to the stats... well, I'm still here, see a dermatologist every year, protect myself from the sun, and see a different GP.

The factors we can control: current and future exposure to uv; to some extent, exposure to other bad $hit; rest, stress, exercise, and diet.

Best of luck to y'all skin!

In my case, neither the GP nor the Dermo gave an :eek: when they saw it, which is a lot better than diagnosable from 10 feet away! The Dermo also checked my back/shoulders/neck on the first visit and didn't see anything untoward. The one on my thigh was really the only big mole I had.

Hundreds of moles have I*!

Just sayin', a good dermatologist can see from across the room what the GP doesn't when under nose.

Have significant other (or mirror) track changes, and check every two weeks or so - could save your life.



*In High School, Mike H bestowed "Piece of Sh*t" nickname on me (all them moles...), which stuck, until he lost his relay spot to me; then he called me "Murph."

"What happened to 'Piece of sh*t?'"

"No 'Piece of Sh*t' is taking my relay spot, right Murph?"

Wow, this is a great reminder. I ride about 13-14 miles daily on my commute, and while it isn't too sunny during those hours now, for more than half the year it's all in the sun. In addition to that, I generally play about 3-4 hours of outdoor basketball per week. I never wear sunscreen b/c I'm fairly dark-skinned and putting it on so often is a bit of a hassle, but I'm figuring that I should definitely re-think this. Not something to take lightly.

Thanks for the post.

www.solaraegis.com

It's interesting that this thread came out while I was waiting for an appointment with the Dermatologist this month. I went last Tuesday and they did a biopsy on my neck (He said it's probably cancer, but not sure what type). I have to wait a couple of weeks. I'm glad I've been keeping watch cause I probably caught it early.

It's interesting that this thread came out while I was waiting for an appointment with the Dermatologist this month. I went last Tuesday and they did a biopsy on my neck (He said it's probably cancer, but not sure what type). I have to wait a couple of weeks. I'm glad I've been keeping watch cause I probably caught it early.

Wow. I hope it's easily taken care of.

Glad you caught it early. Good thing you were attentive on it's color and size.

Pete, my well wishes for you. Sounds like you did catch it early otherwise you'd be in there NOW.

Best wishes Pete.

Best wishes Pete.

+1 ((hugs))

Thanks you guys...My Dad had 3 skin cancers removed over a number of years, so it runs in the family. He's 86 and still up and running, so looks like it will be OK. We did a lot of sailing when we were young and never thought much about sun tan lotion. I used to get the good old Irish tans...Burn, peel and turn white again.

I'll keep a good thought that it's localized, like your dad's...

LOL on the Irish tan -- my siblings and daughter know all about that. Hubby, son and I actually do tan, but wear sunscreen.

Thanks you guys...My Dad had 3 skin cancers removed over a number of years, so it runs in the family. He's 86 and still up and running, so looks like it will be OK. We did a lot of sailing when we were young and never thought much about sun tan lotion. I used to get the good old Irish tans...Burn, peel and turn white again.

Ha HA! I bet at one point in between you looked like a calico!

Good luck with the biopsy, Pete!

I know what you mean about the "Irish Tan". This Anglo-Celtic Frog-Belly White skin is for the birds! It took me years to learn to put on sunscreen when I thought I'd only be outside for a little bit.

OBTW, the Pathology report on the larger piece of skin the Dermo took off was clean - no wandering Melanocytes! And apart from an UGLY scar, no problems either.

Good luck with the biopsy, Pete!

I know what you mean about the "Irish Tan". This Anglo-Celtic Frog-Belly White skin is for the birds! It took me years to learn to put on sunscreen when I thought I'd only be outside for a little bit.

OBTW, the Pathology report on the larger piece of skin the Dermo took off was clean - no wandering Melanocytes! And apart from an UGLY scar, no problems either.

And we all know that chicks (and guys) dig scars.;)

And we all know that chicks (and guys) dig scars.;)

Hmmmm... Well, once the warm weather returns, it'll be on display!

Good luck with the biopsy, Pete!

I know what you mean about the "Irish Tan". This Anglo-Celtic Frog-Belly White skin is for the birds! It took me years to learn to put on sunscreen when I thought I'd only be outside for a little bit.

OBTW, the Pathology report on the larger piece of skin the Dermo took off was clean - no wandering Melanocytes! And apart from an UGLY scar, no problems either.

Yay! Good news!

It's interesting that this thread came out while I was waiting for an appointment with the Dermatologist this month. I went last Tuesday and they did a biopsy on my neck (He said it's probably cancer, but not sure what type). I have to wait a couple of weeks. I'm glad I've been keeping watch cause I probably caught it early.Yikes! Best wishes, Pete.


OBTW, the Pathology report on the larger piece of skin the Dermo took off was clean - no wandering Melanocytes! And apart from an UGLY scar, no problems either.Excellent to hear!

Wow, I guess I've been away for a while... glad you're okay Doug and keep us updated Pete!

On a sad but related note, my step dad wasn't so lucky and caught his melanoma late in January of this year. By July it had spread like wild fire and he lost his battle later that month.

So catching it and actually doing something about it as soon as you notice a growth is key. My step dad just thought it was some weird scab on his side and didn't pay attention to it.

Glad you guys got it checked quickly!

Gary

Sorry to hear that Gary.

Scary, I'm glad you were able to catch it before it turned too bad. I try to use sunblock but am not as good at it as I should be. Thanks for the reminder.

Even though I am of pasty Euro descent, I seem to tan through sunblock. I was using the neutrogena spf 70 spray-on stuff on my legs and arms (I can't bring myself to put it on on my face and neck), and still my tan line on my legs got darker and darker over the summer(no burning). Now that its winter and I have to wear all these stupid layers and warmers, its fading, but I expect it to return even though I'll start hosing myself down once it gets warm enough to do without the layers and warmers. I have a lot of moles, but they don't seem to change, I check 'em out a few times monthly to look for anything suspicious.