Baker advises people to cover up and to be cautious earlier in life. “We all grow older,” she says. “The sun is a beautiful thing, but it can also be a damaging thing at the same time.” Ken Fuchs tells a similar story. Getting ready for work one morning, he looked in the mirror and saw he had four lesions in his eyes and nose area. Previously he had never had more than one. For eight years, he would treat lesions on his face and he says they would heal and then come back. Originally, Fuchs believed the spots were related to a fungus he had on his leg, but they wouldn’t go away. When more lesions suddenly appeared on his face, he knew he couldn’t wait any longer to see a professional. “When I saw all four of them I was like, ‘OK. Maybe we need to rethink this and go see a doctor and find out what it is,’” Fuchs says. Fuchs went to the dermatologist, who immediately told him he had advanced basal cell carcinoma. Because the tumor was right by his eye, they opted against surgery and Fuchs started taking Erivedge, the same drug that Baker used. He took the medicine for 30 days and credits his faith in God and his doctor for his recovery. “I made a statement after I left the doctor’s office,” Fuchs says. “I said, ‘I will take the drug for 30 days and cancer will leave my body in 30 days and will not come back.’”
“The sun is a beautiful thing, but it can also be a damaging thing at the same time.” Each patient’s experience and response with the medicine will be different, according to the medication’s website. Before treatment began, Fuch’s doctor explained he was not sure how long it would take for his body to respond to the treatment and how long the response would last. It worked. By day eight, his skin was healing, and he couldn’t see lesions anymore. When Fuchs last went in for a check-up, he was told not to return for a year. Throughout his life, Fuchs experienced a lot of sun exposure. He did farm work, coached and played soccer and is a Vietnam veteran. He describes himself as an old German guy who’s a little hard-headed sometimes. “My best advice for people is if you see something that’s not completely normal and that’s not going away, don’t put it off, go see a doctor,” he says. “It’s better to know than not to know.
PREVENTIVE CARE 1. WEAR A HAT.
Dr. Christina Kendrick of the Tulsa Dermatology Clinic says she always encourages hats, particularly those with wide brims, but if you wear a baseball hat, don’t forget about protecting the tops of your ears. 2. WEAR CLOTHING WITH A TIGHT WEAVE OR DARKER COLOR.
Some clothing lines now tout SPF protection levels, Kendrick says, but “In general, you don’t have to spend a bunch of money on those specialty ones.” 3. WEAR SUNSCREEN OR SUN BLOCK EVERY DAY.
Sunscreens fall into two categories: chemical and physical blockers. Chemical sunscreens need to be applied at least 20 minutes before sun exposure because they have to be absorbed into the skin to work. Physical blockers do just as the name says — block the sun. Both chemical sunscreens and physical blockers have broad-spectrum coverage, which means they block Ultraviolet A (UVA) and Ultraviolet B (UVB) waves. The SPF should be at least 30 and say broad spectrum on the bottle. “UVA are longer wavelengths of light that can cause more problems with brown spots, freckling, wrinkles — a lot of those aging issues,” Kendrick says. “UVA can penetrate through car windows or the windows of your home.” UVB waves can cause reddening and sunburns. Look for sunscreens that are water resistant if you’re going swimming or will be sweating heavily. Reflective rays magnify exposure and can cause skin to burn in or from water, sand, concrete and snow. You can also burn on a cloudy day because UV waves penetrate clouds. Reapply sunscreen every 60-90 minutes, even those that are a higher SPF. Spray screens are another option, she says, and are easier to spread on the scalp and chest for those who have a lot of hair. 58
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“If you’re going to get out in the sun and spend a lot of time there and have fun while you’re doing it, make sure you’ve got some coverage. It will definitely do some damage to your skin.”
TYPES OF SKIN CANCER There are three main types of skin cancer: basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma and melanoma. Basal cell carcinoma is the most common type of skin cancer and the most common type of any cancer, according to Dr. Christina Kendrick of the Tulsa Dermatology Clinic. “It’s very treatable,” Kendrick says. “It’s very unlikely to ever metastasize anywhere if it’s addressed.” Squamous cell carcinoma is a little more aggressive than basal cell carcinoma, she says. “It can metastasize, but it’s also very treatable if addressed early.” Melanoma can spread through other parts of the body and is more aggressive and deadly. “It usually spreads through the lymphatic system, like to a lymph node first and then can spread to other organs,” Kendrick says. “So that’s why it’s so critical to catch it early.” To learn more about the types of skin cancer or to view photos, visit the American Academy of Dermatology at www.aad.org. tþ
Protecting yourself from the sun is important. There are five ways — all simple.
4. AVOID TANNING BEDS.
Indoor tanning sessions increase a user’s chance of developing melanoma by 20 percent, and each additional session during the same year boosts the risk almost another 2 percent, according to www.skincancer.org. Those who first use a tanning bed before age 35 increase their risk for melanoma by 75 percent. Instead, Kendrick suggests using a spray tanner, which are cosmetically more appealing now than they were previously. 5. CHECK YOUR SKIN MONTHLY.
Kendrick recommends doing skin self-checks once a month. “Even if you get your skin checked once a year, it can be a false sense of security if you develop melanoma a month after your check-up,” Kendrick says. The American Academy of Dermatology notes to look at spots or lesions for the following during a self-check: • ASYMMETRY: one half is unlike the other. • BORDER: an irregular, scalloped or poorly defined border. • COLOR: is varied from one area to another; has shades of tan, brown or black, or is sometimes white, red or blue. • DIAMETER: Melanomas are usually greater than 6mm (the size of a pencil eraser) when diagnosed, but they can be smaller. • EVOLVING: A mole or skin lesion that looks different from the rest or is changing in size, shape or color. Check places you might not think of such as in between toes and on the rear end. “Even in places that don’t get sun, you can get melanoma and other skin cancers,” Kendrick says. If you don’t visit a dermatologist annually, she recommends seeing a primary care doctor, who will recommend a dermatologist if needed.