Melanoma

[gjordan]

They started taking little pieces off of me when I was only 30, but had about 9000 miles under my keel by then, mostly in the tropics. So far it has not been melanoma, but every few years they want to take a little chunk and biopsy it. I was the only child that didnt have red hair in the family, but I am suseptable. I am 65 now and trying to get organized to go cruising again. Will it kill me??? Maybe, but so can the fool in the SUV on the highway. Take reasonable precautions and live your life._____Grant.

[beverley]

Where are all you people? Do you all live in the tropics? I know the Australians had problems because they were a genetically white race in a tropical, sun drenched climate, but is this now a problem throughout the USA?

Here in the UK, our southernmost point is not too different in latitude from the US/Canadian border. I wonder if being further north it is less of a problem?

[Hudson Force]

Originally Posted by beverley

................. I wonder if being further north it is less of a problem?

Sure, being further from the equator and lowering the angle of incidence lessens exposure just like sunscreen, hats, long sleeves and a good bimini. 'best to use all you can for protection if you plan to be cruising for many years.

[Freerider]

There has been some interesting findings in a study from Creighton University School of Medicine in Nebraska, which concluded that Vitamin D can slash cancer rates by up to 77%, including skin cancer. Its an interesting theory indeed.

The whole skin cancer thing is something I have worried about, even to the extent of getting spots removed from my back for prevention purposes.

However; the sun has always been present during our evolution, and we've evolved out of Africa in the tropics with lots of sunshine and no sun screen. Seems odd that it can actually kills us.

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by Freerider

There has been some interesting findings in a study from Creighton University School of Medicine in Nebraska, which concluded that Vitamin D can slash cancer rates by up to 77%, including skin cancer. Its an interesting theory indeed.

The whole skin cancer thing is something I have worried about, even to the extent of getting spots removed from my back for prevention purposes.

However; the sun has always been present during our evolution, and we've evolved out of Africa in the tropics with lots of sunshine and no sun screen. Seems odd that it can actually kills us.

Depends on whether one believes 'Out of Africa'... to easy and to convenient a tale for me... and no... my theories are for me so butt out..

[zeehag]

do not just need protection in tropics--my great auntie was a sun worshipper in ny state--fire island and long island..bay shore, oyster bay , loong ago....
diagnosed in 1973, died in 1973, less than 9 months after diagnosis and extremely painful. not a good way to go.

[SkiprJohn]

Something to do with ozone layer and changing intensity of rays and our susceptability to it.
My folks families were farmers from Germany. In Germany and northern US where they all settled there probably wasn't the same problems but I joined the Navy and went immediately from Oregon to Hawaii and then on to some exotic tropical places like Florida, Vietnam as well as the northern climes. Being on the water and sailing for many years has taken its toll on the skin cells.

[SkiprJohn]

Originally Posted by gjordan

They started taking little pieces off of me when I was only 30, but had about 9000 miles under my keel by then, mostly in the tropics. So far it has not been melanoma, but every few years they want to take a little chunk and biopsy it. I was the only child that didnt have red hair in the family, but I am suseptable. I am 65 now and trying to get organized to go cruising again. Will it kill me??? Maybe, but so can the fool in the SUV on the highway. Take reasonable precautions and live your life._____Grant.

Same here only I'm a bit older. Let's keep sailing and see what happens.

[RicknSue]

Had a bad one taken from my shoulder 5 years ago and get checked annually now- so far, so good, but the doc tells me is going to eventually show up again )probably starting in one of those freckles, like Boatie says. I'm a Cat 1, and have lived on both sides of the Canada/US border most of my life, and it still found me!! One of the questions the dermotoligist asked me first was 'did I ever get sunburned as a kid?'...I was like...'duh, every day..'

As far as the eyes go, they have a special scan that they do to check for it- not included in my insurance coverage , of course, but the eye doc says that's the only real way he could catch it in time. It's kind of weird- picture looks like the setting sun..

[AbaftAndBaffled]

In the spirit of furthering discussion, I present (I know, it's wikipedia): Potential health risks of sunscreen - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The gist of the article is that sunscreen protects against the less dangerous forms of skin cancer but is potentially suspect in causing melanoma. I'm curious. Anyone who's had skin cancer, what kind? And did/do you use sunscreen?

[Hudson Force]

Originally Posted by Freerider

However; the sun has always been present during our evolution, and we've evolved out of Africa in the tropics with lots of sunshine and no sun screen. Seems odd that it can actually kills us.

The evolutionary selection only promotes our survival long enough to reproduce or to increase the welfare of our offspring's ability to reproduce. No more!

[Captain Bill]

This vitamin D thing and cancer presents an interesting dilema for me personally. While I have had no melanomas I have had several basal cell and squamous cell carcnomas removed. I check mysef regularly and have actaually spotted all but one before the doctors. Being of the lily white skin tone and being active outdoors I have been aware of my increased risk for some time. I spent nearly 40 years covering myself with the stongest sunscreen I could buy. Several years ago my dermatologist suggested that I get my vitamin D levels checked. When I got the results they were very low, <25% of normal. They immediately started me on high dosage Vitamin D suppliments, but the levels did not increase. I also suffer from Gerd and take omeprazole which is a proton pump inhibitor. There is a theory that it interferes with vitamin D uptake as it is also associated with osteoporosis in long term users (me). In any case no matter how much they fed me my levels never got above 50% of normal. So based on the theory that I could not get it from food I decided to stop the sunscreen on most of my body and get sun every day I could. Low and behold suddenly I had vitamin D levels in the normal range (your skin produces Vitamin D when exposed to sunlight). I have not had a basal cell or squamous cell carcinoma in 4 years, which is by far the longest time that I've gone without one since I had my first one removed in 1999. I'm not going to recommend that everyone stop using sunscreen and I still use it on my bald spot and my face when I'm going to be out in the sun for a long time. I don't lay out in the sun. I still where a broad brimmed hat, but I just don't go overboard to avoid the sun. I actually have tan lines which I didn't have for 40 years. I often go shirtless under my hard top (there's plenty of UV reflected off of the water). I have always burned easily so I started the process in the winter and worked up. My hope is that I can still treat my GERD, avoid osteoporosis, and maybe help with the skin cancer problem. My experience is purely anecdotal and not part of any scientific study, and my four years without a skin cancer may be purely coincidental. Like the man said, this is life, nobody gets out alive. Did I happen to mention that my first skin cancer showed up 2 years after I started taking the Omepazole? Coincidence, maybe.

[RicknSue]

Mine was malignant melanoma- Stage 3 (between 2 and 4 mm), and my sun screen use before and since is about never (unless my wife yells at me). Doc told me the damage was done years ago, so I figure, whatever, something's got to get me...
I will use zinc oxide on my nose, because it gets burnt like crazy, but other than that , I can promise mine didn't come from sunscreen!!

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by AbaftAndBaffled

In the spirit of furthering discussion, I present (I know, it's wikipedia): Potential health risks of sunscreen - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The gist of the article is that sunscreen protects against the less dangerous forms of skin cancer but is potentially suspect in causing melanoma. I'm curious. Anyone who's had skin cancer, what kind? And did/do you use sunscreen?

Olive Oil, Coconut Oil and currently Ambre Solaire Bronzer... Factor 0... never used sun screen...
65yrs old...

[Richard5]

Originally Posted by CaptForce

Thanks for this report. Did you first notice this growth because of a varient in pigmentation?

I was fortunate to have a piece of metal lodged in my eye. Let me explain.

While grinding mild steel fixtures a small speck of metal ricocheted into my eye even though I was wearing safety glasses. Steel being ferrous began to rust. In less than 20 hours both my eyes had teared up so heavily that I could not see except I could detect a reddish tint in the injured eye.

By this time the metal speck had disintegrated into several parts. While the Dr was able to remove all the metal he was great concerned about the rust. It took about one week to remove all the rust. A follow up check revealed the growth. I feel thankful I got the metal in my eye which is a weird thing to say.

I'm not concerned of death, it's the debilitation prior to the event that concerns me. I rather like keeping my parts intact and functional.