Preview of the Skin Cancer Podcast

[00:00:00] I think there are some dates that you never forget, April 7, 2003.

[00:00:05] And he said, you have to come to hospital right now.

[00:00:08] It is a melanoma.

[00:00:11] Thanks for listening to this preview of the Skin Cancer Podcast,

[00:00:14] part of the Health Unmuted Audio Library by Mission-Based Media.

[00:00:18] Over the past few decades, rates of skin cancer have increased dramatically

[00:00:22] in countries such as the US, UK and Australia.

[00:00:25] An aging population is one reason,

[00:00:27] but it's also down to our increased exposure to harmful UV rays.

[00:00:31] In each episode of this podcast, we hear from medical experts, caregivers and people who have

[00:00:36] had skin cancer to engage, educate and empower listeners.

[00:00:40] To learn more about how you can be involved, visit healthunmuted.com

[00:00:44] or drop us a line at info at healthunmuted.com.

[00:00:49] Skin cancer isn't a single disease.

[00:00:52] There's a whole bunch of different skin cancers.

[00:00:54] And we talk about these different types in Episode 1.

[00:00:58] Roughly 80% of the skin cancers we see are basal cell cancers, about 20% are squamous.

[00:01:04] I had seen in the mirror this kind of red scaly spot for about two years.

[00:01:14] And then we get to the less common but potentially more lethal ones, melanomas.

[00:01:18] I had a black spot on my knee, like a little liquid pus you could say was coming out of it.

[00:01:25] We also discuss risk factors for melanoma and other skin cancers in Episode 2.

[00:01:30] When I was born in the 50s, it was maybe one in maybe a thousand people would get one.

[00:01:35] Now it's estimated that maybe somewhere between 1 in 20 to 1 in 40 have a lifetime

[00:01:40] risk of getting a melanoma because of a number of factors.

[00:01:43] One is people have more leisure time, so you're getting more sun exposure.

[00:01:47] I was 12 years old.

[00:01:50] Growing up in Southern California was at the beach all the time.

[00:01:55] Back then, sunscreen awareness was not what it is today.

[00:02:00] If you have a family history, especially of melanoma, your risk is higher.

[00:02:05] And there are other chemical exposure issues, cutting oils in the machinery industry or

[00:02:10] the petroleum industry. People with chronic exposures have a higher risk of developing

[00:02:15] skin cancers. Not all spots are worrisome, so we learned what warning signs you should look for.

[00:02:21] Is it asymmetric? If you have a multiplicity of colors and you have reds and blues and blacks,

[00:02:27] that's often a warning for possible malignancy.

[00:02:29] And in Episodes 3 and 4, we talk about treatments for mild and more severe cases.

[00:02:35] Thank God we caught it early. It was in situ, which is the top layers.

[00:02:43] When I was in the dermatologist's office, he did shave off several layers of skin.

[00:02:50] He got it all in that visit.

[00:02:53] They cut away everything around the melanoma. The surgeon came back and said,

[00:02:59] in the lymph nodes there's cancer. And I had the year of chemotherapy.

[00:03:05] Prevention is very important, but early diagnosis is probably just as important.

[00:03:10] Fortunately, more people than ever are surviving skin cancer.

[00:03:14] And throughout the series, we hear their stories.

[00:03:16] I was 32 years old and I simply couldn't believe it. My husband was crying all the time.

[00:03:24] I know what it feels like to be physically deteriorating day by day,

[00:03:29] but I would always focus on what I was still able to do.

[00:03:34] After my diagnosis, I cried every single day for three months.

[00:03:39] I have taken my experience and I've now turned it into my cause

[00:03:47] in helping others who have been diagnosed with skin cancer.