I am not sure if you live on another planet…if you do you won’t have seen the news yesterday, listened to the radio, seen the Twitter or Facebook feeds full of news articles and discussions about alarming statistics that Skin Cancer and Melanoma rates are experiencing a 40% rise.
I live on planet earth…..most of the time…..and I read many of these articles with my standard mix of fear and frustration.
Fear because of the fact that so many more people are joining the Rollercoaster…facing the monster. Frustration because….well many reasons but mainly because the hurdles to climb over still seem so large.
Point 1. The increase in rates are two fold – yes SkinCancer & Melanoma in general are increasing – ridiculously fast – but the increase in rates also comes out of increased awareness and improved reporting / monitoring of diagnosis from GP to Hospital. So whilst raising awareness is vital – understanding that this does create a short term “Tsunami” of diagnosed patients is paramount.
As the general public become more aware of how to spot a sinister mole, or as they become fearful because of some of the frank and brave media stories from patients facing advanced Melanoma…they go to their Doctors and get referred to Dermatologists.
Early Detection is crucial – we all know that – get a Melanoma off before it reaches 1mm in depth and the statistical odds of it progressing are dramatically improved – to the point that some believe that at this level this is a “cure”….(let me say at this point I do not believe this to be the case as sadly I have seen and come across many a Melanoma patient with a Melanoma tumour of less than .5mm and it has returned after dormancy of 5, 10 or even 15 years – but the Melanoma can be tracked back medically to the primary).
Early Detection must not get overlooked – it forms the base for hope for so many & let’s be even more honest – the current medical/hospital system could not actually cope if every single patient diagnosed with Melanoma today was diagnosed with a Melanoma that was advanced. Nor for that matter are there enough drugs out there for that many patients.
There are issues with raising awareness about the importance of Early Detection – long waits at GP’s for minor surgery to remove moles – even longer delays getting biopsy results back, further delays waiting for dermatology referrals……and mixed up in amongst the bag of huge numbers of negative biopsies will be, inevitably, a few Melanomas like mine…that get missed…or ignored…brushed aside….taken off incorrectly…wait for a month for biopsy results….somewhere today every single day in England there are 2 people aged between 15 – 34 finding out they have a Melanoma like mine….a Melanoma that has had the chance, the opportunity to sneak away and hide.
And that rate is increasing.
Point 2. I am frustrated by the ongoing bickering, questioning and second guessing about what importance Suncare, SPF, Tanning, Vitamin D place upon Skincancer and Melanoma.
I say this because I had a very interesting conversation on Twitter yesterday with Dr Mark Porter….who said applying a good sun lotion with high spf/good uv probably would not affect a Melanoma diagnosis……he didn’t say don’t apply it……he was careful with his words…as an experienced doctor with a familial history of Melanoma, what he was saying was that applying SPF will help protect your skin from “SkinCancer”…but that “Melanoma” isn’t as easy to prevent. There are genetics to play. There are external factors other than just how much sun you do & don’t have.
Wearing a good SPF will improve your odds – it will protect your skin – it will prevent early aging, wrinkles and sun damage…..but sadly in some cases Melanoma is going to happen anyway.
There are people who never sunbathe that get Melanoma, children who are diagnosed, people who are exposed to longer bursts of UV.
Really there are so many aspects of Melanoma that are still “in discussion”…which is half of the issue when it comes to treatment.
The frustration tips over from there (in a tangent – because that is how my head works) to the fact that not every patient sees a GP like Dr Mark Porter. Some patients I know have actually had GP’s turn around to them and saying that they never bother applying sun lotion because it is a waste of money. We put our GP’s on pedestals as the person to believe – if I were told don’t bother with sun lotion I would question it…but there are some people who won’t question what their GP says – surely the hymm sheet should be the same – common sense – protection from the sun is good.
Also concerning is that not every patients GP can spot enough of the warning signs (in their defence some Melanoma don’t behave “normally”) – but like I have previously said – why wait – if a Mole ticks 2 or 3 of the ABCDE’s then it should be taken off – no matter what – there should not be a question – a mole should come off because a tiny miniscule scar is far far better for the patient & far far cheaper for the NHS than the alternative.
I get it – Melanoma used to be rare – so sometimes a GP could go their whole working life & never see one – but it isn’t anymore – and the rates are rising….either because previous years of Sun negligence are catching up on us or because of various other factors – no matter why – the point is that patients should get the same advice & treatment – no matter where in the country they live. Maybe the answer is that all GP practises should have 1 GP that is experienced in SkinCancer / Melanoma diagnosis – maybe specific training is needed…..
Point 3. Further on from the frustration of actually “should you apply” Sun tan lotion or not is the Vitamin D issue. The Sun Tan – yes you look lovely now – no your skin will not thank you later…..and no going on a SunBed is not a safer option – it is stupidity on a mammoth level – 1 exposure on a Sun bed can increase your chance of SkinCancer by 40%.
Put the Suntan to 1 side – “I have to ensure that I / my child has enough vitamin D and if I wear SPF I won’t get enough Vitamin D because it blocks it”
OK….now my head really does work in tangents and for that & the fact that you have to keep up I can only apologise.
If you eat a balanced diet full of Cancer fighting superfoods (see above link) – healthy fresh foods – you will not only fill your body with vital goodness that will help your body on a cellular level to fight potential risks from cancer but actually these good fresh fruits & vegetables give your body enough Vitamins D on a daily basis anyway. Better still the Antioxidants and naturally occurring Omega 3 fatty acids protect your skin from sun damage.
I appreciate that your life is busy – so is mine – I appreciate that it is cheaper to buy a ready meal sometimes than it is to buy all of those lovely fresh foods.
I understand that you quite fancy fish & chips on a Friday….why not make it yourself…..your kids would probably love to get involved…not to mention the fact that Sweet potato fries are heavenly!
Wear Sunlotion – it isn’t worth not wearing it.
But eat right…..and exercise.
The systems as they are – and as they will be for years to come cannot do everything for you.
You must take responsibility for your own body – Cancer rates will continue to rise – exponentially – until we step back from the statistics alone & look at the bigger picture.