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Tag: skin cancer

  • Woman’s Graphic Skin Cancer Selfie Makes the Facebook Rounds

    “If anyone needs a little motivation to not lay in the tanning bed and sun here ya go! This is what skin cancer treatment can look like. Wear sunscreen and get a spray tan. You only get one skin and you should take care of it. Learn from other people’s mistakes. Don’t let tanning prevent you from seeing your children grow up. That’s my biggest fear now that I have a two year old little boy of my own.”

    Those are the words of Tawny Willoughby, a woman who has seen her April 25 Facebook post blow up in the past few days. The graphic photo, which you are about to see below, has been shared over 57,000 times.

    If anyone needs a little motivation to not lay in the tanning bed and sun here ya go! This is what skin cancer treatment…

    Posted by Tawny Willoughby on Saturday, April 25, 2015

    “To answer a few questions and comments I’ve seen, I did the bulk of my tanning in high school. I probably laid an average of 4-5 times a week (I laid frequently because my tan faded very fast). I never laid in the tanning bed and in the sun in the same day. I never laid in the tanning bed twice in one day. I had my first skin cancer diagnosis at 21. Now, at 27, I’ve had basal cell carcinoma 5 times and squamous cell carcinoma once (excluding my face). I go to the dermatologist every 6-12 months and usually have a skin cancer removed at each checkup,” says Willoughby.

    Thank you ALL so much for sharing my post and all of the articles that have been written. I truly hoped to change at…

    Posted by Tawny Willoughby on Tuesday, May 12, 2015

    The photo is graphic, but that’s likely why it’s making such an impact on social media. It’s easy to ignore a verbal warning from a friend, doctor, or foundations. It’s much harder to ignore something like the image above.

    The image is receiving positive attention, but also some of the negative variety:

    Well, it only took 10,716 shares for my photo to be reported. If I knew who reported it I would give them a major side eye, and the finger lol

    Posted by Tawny Willoughby on Thursday, May 7, 2015

    Willoughby shouldn’t worry. Facebook has stated that it allows graphic photos/videos as long as they service to educate instead of glorify. This most certainly falls into that category.

    Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in America, with over 3.5 million cases diagnosed each year. It’s also one of the most preventable.

  • Hugh Jackman: Second Skin Cancer Diagnosis

    Hugh Jackman was treated for skin cancer last week for the second time. The X-Men: Days of Future Past star was diagnosed with basal cell carcinoma back in November as well. Back then he urged his fans to wear sunscreen as he clearly attributed his cancer to his lack of heeding his own advice.

    Even though basal cell carcinoma is almost always curable when treated early, it isn’t always easily recognized by those who have it. Fortunately the actor saw his doctor right away. Treatment is relatively quick and simple when caught in the earliest stages.

    Jackman posted an Instagram photo of himself following this latest procedure to remove the skin cancer on his nose. He captioned the photo as follows:

    “Another Basel Cell Carsinoma. All out now. Thanks Dr. Albom and Dr. Arian. PLEASE! PLEASE! WEAR SUNSCREEN!”

    Hugh Jackman credits his wife Deborah-Lee Furness as the one who actually first noticed the suspicious spot on his nose and urged him to get it checked out right away.

    The Wolverine star is noted for his acting success on the big screen and on Broadway, too. His film fans may be surprised to know that the actor has quite the talent for dancing as well as singing and acting. He won a Tony Award back in 2004 for his role as a gay songwriter in the Broadway production of The Boy from Oz.

    The Tony Awards are in Hugh Jackman’s future as well. He will serve as host for the 2014 Tony Awards. The special airs Sunday, June 8th at 8:00 P.M. on CBS.

    Skin cancer is nothing to disregard. Everyone has been exposed to the sun and its damaging rays–even if sunbathing or significant outdoor activities were never a part of their lives. Perhaps heeding Hugh Jackman’s warning should serve as a heads up for everyone as spring turns to summer weather in the next few weeks and outdoor activities will be in full swing. Prevention is key but early detection is also vital. Kudos to the actor for sharing his scare with his fans.

    Image via Instagram

  • Hugh Jackman Treated Again For Skin Cancer

    Wolverine actor Hugh Jackman revealed Thursday on Instagram that he has received skin cancer treatment once again.

    Diagnosed with basal cell carcinoma — a cancer that is curable if detected early — the 45-year-old Australian entertainer first announced that he was being treated for the cancer in November and urged fans to wear sunscreen and “not to be foolish like me.”

    At the time, he credited his wife, Deborah-Lee Furness, for noticing the mark on his nose and talking him into seeing a doctor. On his Instagram, he captioned a picture he posted following the procedure with “Deb said to get the mark on my nose checked. Boy, was she right!”

    In other Jackman news, the X-Men star said in an interview Friday with the International Business Times magazine that he believed Hollywood stars are overpaid.

    When asked if Hollywood stars make too much he responded, “Oh yeah. But I understand why, how it’s being measured. As a brand, as a small business, really.

    “But if we were born 100 years ago, you could be the most famous actor and you wouldn’t get all that. Even 50 years ago in the studio contract, a lot of those actors died penniless. But somehow, since the 1980s, this happened.”

    Jackman, whose net worth is estimated at $100 million, said he flies economy class when he travels with his children and receives a lot less attention for it because fans assume he’d travel first class.

    Jackman said he is still like a little kid when encountering the perks of fame and fortune.

    “Staying in a [luxury] place like this? Flying first class? I still jump up and down on the beds. I go on to a plane, I turn left, I’m like ‘Yes!’” he said.

    Jackman said fame was never a motive in pursuing acting and remembers the difficulties of being a struggling actor.

    “I was a student for seven years and I remember thinking: ‘If I ever have money, I am going to just eat’. Just to be able to walk in without looking at the menu in the window. I remember it was basically 120 bucks a week for everything. My rent was 55 bucks a week, food was probably 50 bucks, so then I had 15 bucks.”

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Sunscreen Ingredients: Long Needed Updates Ignored

    Skin cancer is a serious threat, and with the current sunscreens available in the U.S., its protection is lacking as the nearly 15 year old products have not been revised to meet new UVA and UVB needs.

    The American Cancer Society claims that skin cancer is the most common of cancers seen in America. The agency estimates that 1 in every 5 Americans will develop skin cancer at some point in their lives. Melanoma, the most deadly skin cancer, kills nearly 10,000 Americans every year, and the number of cases have been rising for 30 years.

    The depletion in the ozone layer each year due to the release of the chemicals chlorine and bromine has allowed larger than normal amounts of UVB rays to hit the planet. Thus exposing us to higher levels of UV (ultraviolet radiation) levels and higher UVB (ultraviolet short wave radiation) levels. It is the UVB levels that have the greatest impact.

    From The World Health Organization: Computational models predict that a 10% decrease in stratospheric ozone could cause an additional 300,000 non-melanoma and 4500 melanoma skin cancers.

    The UVB rays damage the surface of our skin and cause sunburns. UVA rays penetrate beneath the surface layer of skin tissue, and can lead to skin cancers like melanoma.

    In the U.S., most sunscreens use chemicals such as oxybenzone and avobenzone to filter UVA radiation. But those ingredients protect only against certain UVA rays, and they break down quickly, according to skin cancer-research groups.

    Although in the past 10 years or so, new UV-blocking agents have been developed for sunscreens, including a chemical filter called ecamsule, the FDA hasn’t expanded its approved list of sunscreen ingredients since 1999. Eight ingredients are currently awaiting approval, and ecamsule has only been approved in a few products in the U.S.

    In other words, our sunscreens are not up to date which could explain the high skin cancer rates.

    Advocates have put pressure on the FDA to approve the new sunblock ingredients, and commissioner Margaret Hamburg said sunscreen was “one of the highest priorities” in a 2013 Capitol Hill hearing.

    Wendy Selig, president of the Melanoma Research Alliance, told the Washington Post that the hold-up isn’t fair to American consumers.

    “We’re basically saying that the American people should make do with what was the most innovative science from 10 to 12 years ago,” she said. “Ask someone if they want to buy automobile technology from 12 years ago, or computer technology from 12 years ago.”

    Image via YouTube

  • Mike Schmidt Recovering From Skin Cancer

    Mike Schmidt Recovering From Skin Cancer

    On Sunday, Mike Schmidt, the Philadelphia Phillies legend and Hall of Famer, announced that he is recovering from an advanced stage of skin cancer.

    Schmidt was diagnosed with Stage 3 melanoma in August, and has since been undergoing rounds of radiation and chemotherapy. Schmidt said he has also underwent two surgeries since his diagnosis. After all of the treatment, Schmidt was proud to say that all of his current scans were clear. “I feel fantastic right now,” Schmidt said.

    Schmidt explained that it was a random trip to the dermatologist that enabled doctors to catch the cancer early on. “I was doing a closing on a house and I had a thing on my hand,” Schmidt explained. “I just went in and said, ‘Can you look at this” and he said, ‘Why don’t I take a look at your whole body while you’re here. Obviously the moral of the story is, everybody, get your skin checked. I think at least once a month, now that I know what I know. I caught it early.”

    Sadly, Schmidt was not able to serve as a guest instructor in the spring, due to his last round of chemo. He was making frequent trips from his home in Florida to his doctors in Massachusetts. However, Schmidt says he will be returning for his regular duties this year.

    Schmidt said that this whole experience has been a major eye opener. He is more cautious about being in the sun, calling it “evil and scary.” The time spent at the hospital also led him to realize how lucky he was that he was able to catch his disease early on. “The older you get … you still carry some sort of invincibility,” Schmidt said, and later added, “the moral of the story is everybody get checked.”

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Mike Schmidt, Baseball Hall of Famer, Reveals Recent Battle With Advanced Skin Cancer

    Renowned Philadelphia Phillies slugger Mike Schmidt recently announced on Sunday that he had been diagnosed with stage III Melanoma last summer. Schmidt claimed that the cancer is gone, but the Melanoma required him to undergo continuous chemotherapy and radiation treatments.

    According to Ryan Lawrence of Philly.com, The 64-year-old Baseball Hall of Famer decided not to perform his regular duties as this year’s spring training guest instructor because of this health condition. Schmidt had been undergoing his final round of chemotherapy a day after the exhibition games commenced.

    Schmidt said that he found out about the cancer during a visit to his dermatologist because of a spot on his hand. But despite the challenges he has faced in the last couple of months of treatment, Schmidt said that he considers himself “a lucky man” for being able to detect the Melanoma relatively early. Feeling “fantastic”, Schmidt advised the public to have their skin checked by a doctor at least once a month.

    The three-time National League Most Valuable Player looked fit and healthy when he appeared at the Phillies camp in Bright House Field. Careful to avoid the sun’s rays, Schmidt selected well-shaded areas on the grounds to rest under. Although he missed this year’s camp, Schmidt said that he intends to return as an active instructor next year, if his health permits it. In the meantime, Schmidt will join the Phillies’ TV crew as they cover 13 home games this season.

    The most obvious effects of the cancer can be seen (or heard) in his voice. Schmidt said that the two surgeries he went through caused his voice to become raspy and his taste buds to lose their sensitivity. He is currently taking depression medication to aid him in the recovery process.

    Schmidt, who is considered by many as the greatest third baseman of all time, shared that his family has a history of Melanoma. His grandfather, who was also afflicted with the disease, survived it but lost one of his ears in the process.

    Watch Mike Schmidt’s 500th Home Run

    Image via YouTube

  • Hugh Jackman Reveals He Has Skin Cancer Via Instagram Photo

    Hugh Jackman recently had a serious scare, and got treated shortly afterward. It appeared that he had skin cancer after his wife, Deborah-Lee Furness, noticed an odd looking mark on his nose.

    He was treated, and after having a bandage on his nose, he posted a picture to Instagram for everyone to see, and he took the opportunity to warn others. The power of social media has struck again, and allowed him to share the scary news with all of his fans.

    The actor who is known primarily for his role as Wolverine in the X-Men franchise, had skin cancer, and if he had not been checked out at the time that he was, it is likely that it could have gotten much worse.

    The facial mark that his wife noticed was recently treated for cancer cells, and he was diagnosed with basil cell carcinoma, which is a common form of skin cancer.

    The malignant tissue seems to have been removed through a simple procedure, but Hugh Jackman will be forever grateful to his wife for noticing the mark, otherwise it could have been much more serious.

    He is certainly thankful to his wife for noticing the mark, and on his Instagram, he captioned the picture with “Deb said to get the mark on my nose checked. Boy, was she right!” He also urged all of his fans to get checked, and to use sunscreen.

    It can certainly be a problem for people, and especially people that live in places such as Los Angeles where they go to the beach, and it is sunny a lot of the time.

    The use of social media has become very useful for celebrities, and everyone else, as it allows them to quickly announce big news like this to everyone at once. It also allows for many people to comment and show their sympathy for the person in one place.

    Hugh Jackman was diagnosed with the most frequently occurring form of all types of cancer, but luckily for him, it seems to have been able to be taken care of easily. It was certainly a scare for him and his wife, and this should make him more aware of what he is doing in the future, as he takes the time to advise all of his Insagram followers to do the same.

    Image via Instagram

  • Bruce Jenner: Confirms Cancer Surgery

    Bruce Jenner’s nose has been the source of jokes for years, with everyone talking about the extensive plastic surgery that he has had done on his face. So, when he stepped out on September 17 with a large bandage covering his nose, the gossip started once again. No, Jenner did not have plastic surgery, he had surgery to remove skin cancer.

    “I was diagnosed with…Basal cell carcinoma and have undergone Mohs surgery to remove it,” says Jenner. “I have been struggling with this for several years and appreciate all of the support and prayers while I continue to fight the battle against skin cancer.”

    Jenner had surgery recently had surgery, and a source told TMZ that he had “a chunk of tissue removed from his nose… and the procedure required 30 stitches.” Jenner had a similar surgery done last year, in January 2012. That procedure was done on his cheek to also remove skin cancer. Luckily, both times, the cancer was found and removed before it spread to the rest of his body. A source says that Jenner is “recovering and his prognosis is excellent.”

    Jenner is also giving words of advice to people about the severity of the disease and taking care of their bodies. “This has taught me to be extra vigilant when out in the sun and I encourage others to get regular checkups and always wear sunscreen,” says Jenner.

    Image via Twitter
    Video via NDN

  • Melanomas Often Mutate in Two Specific Ways, Shows Study

    A new study has shown that 71% of melanoma tumors have two specific mutations. The mutations were found in an area of the cancer genome where cancer-related mutations have not been found previously.

    “This new finding represents an initial foray into the ‘dark matter’ of the cancer genome,” said Dr. Levi Garraway, senior author of the study and an assistant professor of medicine at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. “In addition, this represents the discovery of two of the most prevalent melanoma gene mutations. Considered as a whole, these two TERT promoter mutations are even more common than BRAF mutations in melanoma. Altogether, this discovery could cause us to think more creatively about the possible benefits of targeting TERT in cancer treatment or prevention.”

    The study, published this week in the journal Science Express, shows that the two mutations take place in regions of non-coding DNA. Non-coding DNA refers to the large regions of DNA that do not contain genetic instructions for making proteins. Though non-coding DNA makes up 99% of a cell’s genome, the information was previously dismissed as meaningless.

    The researchers found that the mutations affect affect a promoter region adjacent to the TERT gene, which contains a “recipe” for creating telomerase reverse transcriptase – an enzyme that can make cells “virtually immortal.” Promoter regions in DNA control the rate of a gene’s transcription. It is presumed that the mutations can kick the TERT gene “into overdrive” and contribute to the development of melanoma.

    “We think these mutations in the promoter region are potentially one way the TERT gene can be activated,” said Dr. Franklin Huang, co-author of the study.

    The mutations were found by analyzing whole-genome data. Huang and his colleagues also found that the same mutations are present in other cancers, and could be common in bladder and liver cancers.

  • Sunburn: Your Body’s Way of Maintaining Balance

    Sunburns are beyond annoying, which is why I don’t spend very much time out in the sun. When your pasty white Irish blood causes you to fry like a pork sausage whenever you step out into a beautiful summer afternoon, chances are you’re going to try to avoid such contact as much as humanly possible. I’ll go outside just long enough to replenish my daily supply of Vitamin D, but that’s about it. If I can avoid activities in the sun, then I’m going to do it.

    As it turns out, all of that pain and redness and agony and discomfort actually serves a very specific purpose. According to a stable of researchers from University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, the skin is attempting to purge damaged RNA cells during this period in order to keep the body in good working condition. The result of your body’s mission to rid itself of these radiation-saturated cells is the sunburn. Although it makes taking a hot shower painfully unbearable, believe it or not, it’s actually trying to keep you healthy.

    “The inflammatory response is important to start the process of healing after cell death,” explained lead investigator Dr. Richard Gallo. “We also believe the inflammatory process may clean up cells with genetic damage before they can become cancer. Of course, this process is imperfect and with more UV exposure, there is more chance of cells becoming cancerous.”

    Since the body’s process of getting rid of these sun-savaged cells is imperfect, how does one effectively lower the risk of developing skin cancer? My guess would be to limit the amount of time you spend basking in the glow of those harmful UV rays. Moderation is apparently the key.

    Genetics also plays a part in how we deal with the effects of the sun, as well. “We know in our mouse genetic models that specific genes will change how the mice get sunburn,” Gallo added. “Humans have similar genes, but it is not known if people have mutations in these genes that affect their sun response.”

    It’s worth noting, of course, that these results should be considered preliminary since they were obtain from laboratory mice.

  • Skin Cancer Coffee: Study Shows Caffeine May Reduce Risk

    Skin cancer coffee is not — I repeat, is not — a new flavor of java over at Starbucks. I know those three words may get your taste buds tingling, but I can assure you that such a thing does not exist. Okay, well, maybe it does somewhere, but it’s not here, and it’s definitely not right now. However, given the number of face-eating, dog-devouring freaks currently making the rounds, it might be an untapped market.

    All kidding aside, a recent study has shown that caffeine may, in fact, reduce your risk of skin cancer. That’s right — all of those people who made fun of you for pounding cup after cup of cheap, off-brand black coffee are at a greater risk of developing basal cell carcinoma than you are right now. It’s not just coffee fanatics, either. Copious consumers of tea and cola are also lowering their risk of getting skin cancer. That guy over there gnawing on his third Snickers bar? He’s lowering his chances, as well.

    Based on data from the study, women were 21 percent less likely to develop skin cancer if they knocked back three cups of coffee per day. Men, meanwhile, were only 10 percent less likely to get basal cell carcinoma. However, doctors warn that just because you’ve increased the amount of caffeine in your diet doesn’t mean you can increase the amount of time you spend basking in the glow of the sun. Nice try, though.

    “I would hope that people would not decide to spend a lot more time in the sun because they are drinking coffee,” explained Lorelei Mucci,, associate professor of epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health. She added, “There is a lot more about the prevention of BCC that we need to understand.”

    Before you stock up on an endless supply of coffee beans, lead author Jiali Han, an associate professor at Harvard Medical School and Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, offered up a word of warning. “There are lots of compounds in the coffee, including antioxidants. The process of decaffeination can wash out other compounds in the coffee, so we cannot 100 percent tease out that caffeine is the only factor responsible for the effect.”

    It’s also worth noting that the study is not conclusive, as only shows an association between caffeine and skin cancer.