I am a very fair blonde woman who stopped lying in the sun when I turned 30. Why? I thought it might help reduce the signs of aging. It’s a shallow reason, but in the long run, it might have been a wiser decision than I thought. After an Australian man’s neck mole turned out to be melanoma, he is advising we all be a little more diligent when it comes to our skin. (1)
Highest Incidence Of Skin Cancer
Ryan Glossop was surprised to be diagnosed with skin cancer. However, he lives in Australia where the incidence of melanoma is more than twice that found in North America. In fact, Australia and New Zealand have the highest incidence of melanoma cases in the world. (1, 2)
This has been attributed to their close location to the equator and reportedly reduced ozone layer. Additionally, both countries have a high population of fair-skinned people. (2)
Skin Cancer Diagnosis
The appearance of what seemed to be a harmless sunspot on Ryan’s neck led to 40 biopsies and 4 surgeries. “What started out so small turned into something that none of us were ready for,” his wife Fallon wrote on Facebook. (1)
According to Dr. Adam Friedman, professor and interim chair of dermatology at the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, the spot on Ryan’s neck did not look like something most people would worry about. However, doctors know what to look for in such skin lesions to determine if they are risky. That’s why skin checks are so important. (1)
Skin Cancer Removed
In order to completely remove the cancer, doctors removed a large piece of skin from Ryan’s neck and back. “This whole experience has been hugely challenging for all of us, but if anything, good is to come out of this, it is that we now want to help raise more awarenessof skin cancer,” wrote Fallon. (1)
His drastic skin removal followed tests that continued to show the presence of abnormalities and cancerous cells. Tissue was taken from his legs to perform a skin graft to cover the large area on his neck and back. (1)
“Fortunately for me, the rest is in the past and I’m moving forward,” wrote Ryan on Facebook (1)
Ryan noted someone pointed out the mole to him which he was able to have checked at work. Cancer Council NSW recommends workplaces requiring outdoor work have a sun protection program in place. (1, 3)
Steps To Avoid Skin Cancer
Instructions passed on to outdoor workers by the Cancer Council Australia are five steps (3):
- Slip on sun-protective work clothing
- Slop on at least SPF 30+ sunscreen
- Slap on a sun-safe hat
- Reduce exposure to solar UV radiation
- Slide on some sunglasses
Close to two in three Australians will have skin cancer by the time they reach the age of 70. In America, this number drops drastically to 1 in 38 for fair-skinned people. Despite this fact, Dr. Friedman recommends everyone has dermatologistskin checks annually, in hand with self-checks monthly to look for anything new that might appear on your skin. (1, 4, 5)
“Your life is too precious to just bake yourself in the sun and not worry about your skin,” says Fallon. (1)
