Thanks for sharing the story about Roberta!

I think I have a couple of Roberto's myself!!

Have a great day.. :-D

Greetings,
Claus D Jensen

Tell Roberta you've already got too many women in the family and she needs to get the f#ck out! :P

(Unrelated: your eyes look gorgeous in that shot.)

Hear hear! I've done the same thing to my husband, but I also like to show him the inch long scars I have from my mole removals to emphasize the point.

Way to be proactive, Heather! (Also, the spam code on this comment was "seasick mutuels." Awesome.)

Thanks for posting this. The Today Show just did a segment on skin cancer and how to prevent it. Just putting on sunscreen everyday makes a huge difference.

What a great reminder to all of us. Not everyone takes their skin seriously, but when skin cancer sneaks into your life, it can be devastating. Both my mother and father have had skin cancer so I am also a drill sargent when it comes to my family's auspicious spots! Thanks for sharing your story and your call to action! Sara

I'm glad you posted that--I had my annual full-body check yesterday morning. I had blistering burns on my shoulders when I was young, so I'm suceptible to skin cancer. I'm proud of myself for having used a daily sunscreen since I was about 26--it really is the best defense. When people like yourself who actually talk about doing something when you notice something, it can make a difference. Thanks.

I was diagnosed with keratosis pilaris when I was 16, while it is not at all cancer it's still a pain in the ass. And my doctor keeps on telling me I will grow out of it, but it has been 8 years and I see no signs of it going away.

And of all the topical treatments I've been prescribed and that I've tried, Avon's skin bump minimizer lotion works wonders. So tell your mother that if they ever discontinue that item, I may have to hurt someone.

Excellent post. Also, anybody who has a family member with a history of skin cancer needs to wear sunscreen and be checked on a regular basis. My father had basal cell carcinoma and had 1/4th of his nose removed. It was a large nose, but still, 1/4th of a nose is noticeable. My mother had pre-melanoma, which was thankfully stopped in its tracks with a topical treatment.

Needless to say, I and my son who is as lily-white as a piece of paper, we don't like the sun.

Yes. Good post.

I've got a 26 yr old neice who's had more chunks than I can remember cut or burned off her skin, was getting regular "skin map" checkups, and STILL ended up with malignant melanoma and it was scary as f*cking hell but with surgery and treatment she beat it, at the age of 21.

So yeah, keep up with the checks and don't take Roberta and her ilk for granted.

That tiny little discoloration?? How did you even SEE that? I have all sorts of discolorations on my face. But that's because I'm 42. I think old ladies like us call them "liver spots."

I just sent a link to this post to my husband. His family has a history of skin cancer, I'm 18 weeks pregnant, and he has a suspicious mole or two that I've been begging him for WEEKS to go get checked out. Unfortunately, he's very doctor-averse so it's a bit like pulling teeth without any painkillers. But I'm not ready to be a single parent, much less a single first-time parent. Dramatic? Yes. Effective guilt tripping? Hopefully.

Hopefully your post will finally give him the kick in the ass he needs. Either that or my incessant nagging will finally wear on his last nerve.

How is it that John has no hair on his back?

Sorry, I do know how to spell Jon's name.

Your timing is amazing. Today we go back to the Large-Highly Regarded Medical Institution (can you say cluster-f*ck?) to find out how much they want to cut off the top of my boyfriend's head. This time. A year ago he had a wide area excision for melanoma on his scalp and we found another Nasty Spot about two weeks ago that came back melanoma too.

I'm not happy.

I have to go get checked too. I've felt a couple of baby Robertas on my person. When I was a kid we didn't have sunscreen (I'm old) and I have a feeling I'm going to pay for all those horrid sunburns I earned in the cornfields of Indiana at a youth.

I really appreciate this story Heather, as cancer is currently a big worry in my family, with my dad waiting to hear back on his bone cancer test.:(
I actually have two suspicious spots Im thinking of getting checked. thanks for reminding me. I better get it done!:)
Bianca
ivoryandmoss.blogspot.com

We live in Utah and my husband has seen a couple of dermatologists here. He's had several basal cell carcinomas removed and a handful of squamous cells as well.

RESEARCH Aldara before applying it to your head. My husband used it on a spot (much larger than yours, so he was using more of the medication) and endured unexpected side effects... mood swings, depression, mental stuff in general. We couldn't figure out what was happening. It's a long story, but we finally linked it to his use of Aldara. Many people use the drug with no side effects, but if you're prone to depression and anxiety... you might want to consider having your precancer (or future ones) removed via the burn or scrape method. A little scabby, but quick and definitely doesn't mess with brain chemistry.

Just something to consider... Google Aldara side effects... really.

I have a girlfriend with a few Robertas and the sun/skin cancer problem. I think she's up to SPF 60 now, and she goes in every six months to have something removed. I wish I could give her some of my melanin, then she wouldn't have to worry.

Ugh.

Yes, I'm making an appointment soon.

I went to my primary doctor yesterday and got a referal for a dermatologist. I am going to have some moles checked and a very suspicious "thing" on my forhead checked out.

*Love*

I was careless in my teens and 20's too. I have my first dermatologist appt on June 1. I have several nasty looking moles. Thanks for always being so honest.

Thanks for making this post, and also, being visible about your reasons for this post. :)

I use Neutrogena's Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch Sunblock SPF 85 every single day, rain or shine. I'm 25, but I have the family history and the skin tone/hair color to indicate, with big flashing neon signs, SKIN CANCER RISK in the future.

OK, you have officially freaked me out. I am calling the doc today!!

I was told yesterday that since I brown up like jambalaya sausage WITH sunblock on that I should go to the tanning booth twice a week just because I can... And I live in Colorado, a permanent tanning booth.

I then started a skin cancer shpiel that my mother would have been proud of. Thank goodness for that mother and her obsessive need to lather me in sunscreen. I'm going to go call her now. Thanks for the reminder.

Hey! Thanks for the reminder, I ask my boyfriend weekly to get his 100 moles checked, please. I daily regret my hours lying in the sun and tanning beds.

My grandma had skin cancer on her face and had to use a cream that left her looking like she had road rash for months. Thankfully it went away. SUNSCREEN is my new companion. Apply and re-apply!

And don't forget to check the bottoms of your feet! Weird, I know, but I had a flat mole removed from there.

Thank you for reminding us to get ourselves checked. I need to make an appointment pronto, since I have my own Roberta (actually, I am planning to call her Bertha) on my cheek.

thanks for the reminder... gotta go and call my dermatologist... got a "huge" (according to my vanity) on my back, and it had changed in it's form... so...
again, thanks for sharing this!

Thanks for this reminder. I just called my dermatologist about a red spot I've been trying to ignore. Also, this Friday is Don't Fry Day - a bunch of orgs interested in skin cancer prevention have united to put it on - good info on sun safety there http://www.skincancerprevention.org/Events/DontFryDay/tabid/113/Default....

Thank You for posting a good reminder to all. My husband has stage 4 melanoma, which started out as a small mole on his scalp. Yes, he was a child of the 50's with his little blond head buzzed down to a crew cut. We didn't see it till it was very far gone due his full head of hair now. Watch closely and get everything checked. Early detection is the key.

I had two moles removed from my neck a little over a month ago. I agreed to see the dermatologist partly because of your previous posts about Fred and friends.

They were moles I'd had all my life, and I felt sad when they were gone, mainly because of how long it took me to accept them. But I'm glad they were taken away and pronounced benign when I was 25 (I've since turned 26) rather than stay on my neck, continue to change size and color, and then become malignant in who knows how many years.

I still have moles that I have to watch and get checked, because I spent every summer outdoors in Florida until I was 21 and rarely applied sunscreen. And even idiotically tried to use suntan oil last year instead of sunscreen.

But here's at least one person who listened to what you wrote.

As a 25 year old who was diagnosed with malignant melanoma on my lower abdomen (precisely where a bikini hits) at the age of 23 (which was surgically treated. My fiance and I now refer to my nether regions as "Franken-Crotch") I applaud you for bringing up this topic. I was a relentless sun-bather. We're talking hitting the pool after a trip to the tanning salon, because the sun just doesn't rise early enough in the day.

EVERYONE needs to be checked.

Oh man, I get at least two things cut off every year, I feel your pain. I am SO white and SO Irish that really, I'm doomed to eventually have something come back cancerous. For now, though, I've got that effing keratosis pilaris BS, as well as something the derm calls Barnacles of Old Age. No shit.

OK, so I only have a year and a half left of my 20s, does that mean I get to continue tanning recklessly for the next 36 months? Please say yes! I look so much hotter with a tan!

But gah. You're right. I do have creepy suspicious moles all over the damn place ....

Gah. Bah. Meh.

I read this post before going for a jog. As a result, I remembered to put on sunscreen before I went out. Thanks, Heather!

My husband was treated for AK last summer. He had many more spots than you, and it was something that got worse over time. He used Carac (which, I believe, is similar to Aldara). I would be extremely careful with any of these drugs while pregnant or breastfeeding - think you mentioned that you were going to wait until after having the baby. These creams are basically "chemo in a tube". The drug will bring to the surface all the AK's that you can't see right now, as well as, treat what you can see. My DH's face got very raw and red, and he was very uncomfortable for a while. He took a few days out of work because of the discomfort, and he didn't want to scare anyone! He stuck with the treatment though because he didn't want to mess around with skin cancer, or have stuff burned/cut off his face when he's older (like his mother currently goes through). I can't remember the website right now, but before he started treatment he followed someone else's experience on some blog - including pictures. It wasn't pretty, but almost everyone that I read about was glad that they had done it - side effects and all. If I can find the link I'll submit another comment. Best to you and your DH.

thank you for writing this. I'm a melanoma survivor (5years). I've lost my aunt and uncle to melanoma. (Most people don't know melanoma is not only caused by sun exposure, but also can appear in gentic "clusters") I've talked about it on my site before but I don't have nearly the reach you do. thank you.

A very important message ...!

I come from a long line of practically transparent people for whom sunscreen was invented. Thanks for bringing more attention and a pre-summer reminder about such an important and easily prevented disease.

erika

Aldara? Heck, all the docs I've know just freeze AK's off, like with the freeze spray they use on warts. B/c thats what Aldara is, a wart treatment with other applications. But family practice docs tend to lean towards saving the patient some money. One spray? free vs. cream? $150 ... But I suppose you get $150 worth of peace of mind.

Thank you so much for this, I am Hispanic, and for some reason my people think skin cancer will never touch their lives which is beyond stupid. Made even more stupid by the fact that we’re light skinned. I wear sunscreen all the time, but my boyfriend and sister brush off my suggestions for them to put it on. I’m forwarding this to both of those jack*sses right now.

BTW-Good luck with your delivery! You’re glowing and beautiful.

Heather, as an 8-year survivor of malignant melanoma, thanks for bringing this topic up to your readers attention.

I'm also the PR director for an NCI Comprehensive Cancer Center, and we recently had a free public skin screening. We had 148 people come through for cursory (read "not-naked") skin checks, and of those people 4 had basal cell carcinomas and 2 had melanomas.

Most people think that skin cancer is no big deal. The truth is skin cancer is no big deal IF it's caught early. A melanoma that's just 1.5 milimeters thick can kill you. My melanoma was 3 mm thick. I am alive today (as is my daughter, because I was 22 wks pregnant when I was diagnosed) by the grace of god.

Melanoma is one of the few cancer types that not only has NO CURE once it has metastasized, but has no effective treatment other than surgery. If you get melanoma and it is in your lymph nodes, that's bad news. Your only hope is highly experimental treatments(read not-FDA-approved because it only works in about 15% of people and it almost kills you in the process). I'm 8 years out and I still have a 50% chance of dying from melanoma in my lifetime. And I'm 39 years old.

The only way to protect against skin cancer is to keep your skin out of the sun. The jury is still out about whether sunscreen use protects very much at all. Because even though sunscreen use is going up, so is the incidence of melanoma in the US among young women.

From the NCI Cancer Bulletin, July 22, 2008:

"The annual incidence of invasive cutaneous melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, increased among Caucasian women in the United States aged 15 to 39 by 50 percent between 1980 and 2004."

Your risk for any type of skin cancer, but specifically melanoma goes up exponentially if you:

* have light colored eyes
* have red hair
* have pale skin
* have a first or second-degree relative who has had a melanoma

Our motto around here is if you have skin and it's been in the sun, get it checked by a dermatologist. Even my 8-year-old daughter gets skin checks every year.

The most important thing to watch for is moles that change in any way: get crusty, get bigger, get darker, lose their border.

You can also take digital photos of your moles every quarter or so to note changes, because they may happen slowly. Or quickly, as mine did. Bring the photos with you to your annual skin check if your dermatologist doesn't take photos like mine does.

So if you feel something weird is going on on your skin, don't delay. It's better to have a microscopic scar on your calf, or your face, or your forearm and have had the lesion be benign then to be dead.

This is my soapbox. At least I'm no longer putting notes in tanning beds around the city that say "Stop Committing Suicide! Get out of this tanning bed!"

Lynn

After reading your initial cancer posts, I checked a mole I've had all of my life. Went to the dermatologist, who said it was probably nothing but should be removed within the next year. So, I scheduled the appointment for the next week and now am down one mole and up two stitches. Thank you for being so frank about this; I hope it helps more people realize how important sunscreen and regular monitoring of moles/spots/etc. are!

Thank you, and I hope everything turns out fine.

I totally credit you for the visit I made to the dermatologist last summer, and going forward I will credit you for reminding me that I need to go in again pretty soon here. I mean, I was going to go anyway, really, I swear I was. Honest.

My first visit was pretty awesome, as check-ups go. The dermatologist had the most caterpillar-like eyebrows I've ever seen, and they held me transfixed for the duration of my exam, which was great because it totally distracted me from the fact that a sixtysomething dude was minutely examining my nearly naked body and asking me if I had any moles on my vulva. (I don't.)

I hope Jon's visit goes equally well, and that Roberta departs from your forehead in a timely fashion.

Thank you so much for this post, this is exactly what I needed to hear. I've had a mole growing on my leg for the past year and it started as only a small obnoxious little pink "zit" but has now grown into a larger and more obnoxious and painful pink mole right in that spot that no matter how much sunscreen I put on always gets burnt next to my knee. And I've been putting off going to the dermatologist because like your previous skin cancer posts I have to make sure there is funding for such a venture. But hearing your story really makes the possibility of cancer real and I need to get this damn thing checked out. So thanks again.

Thanks. Saw something weird the other day and as soon as I stop writing this, I'm making an appointment with my dermatologist. Really appreciate your honesty and the reminder.!

My sister and her husband both battled melanoma 5 years ago. Their 20 something daughter has started the White for Life club, meaning she will never get a tan from the sun or a tanning bed. My 20 something daughter lives in Hawaii - tempting to sit out and get that beautiful glow but she has also joined "the club" and has been able to enjoy herself for 2 years at the beach by lathering up and having an umbrella handy. Having a member of the family get cancer really increases your risks - good luck with the doctor appointment!

I had a conversation with my friend earlier today about how she should go see a dermatologist to check out her moles. But now after reading your post, I think I'll make an appointment as well. I have a sunspot that is growing. Thanks!

Congrats on the new sponsor, and on finding Roberta before she got a little TOO familiar with you, like she does with those salsa students.

Had a visit with the derm on Monday after husband said: You've a funny looking zit by your ear. NOT a zit but mole that had changed. Derm said it looked OK but lopped it off & biopsied it to play it safe.

Thanks for reminding us all about the importance of getting routine mole checks!!

I have one of those sandpapery spots on my face near my nose- skin cancer central thanks to my teenage years spent in the California sun. I'll now be sure to have it checked out.

Thanks, Heather.

THANK YOU HEATHER for writing this! I have witnessed the excruciating pain, heartache, and devastating effects of Melanoma and its toxic treatments including bio-chemo and IL-2 therapy, and drastic surgeries on my grandmother, husband and father- the latter two are my beloved Melanoma warriors and survivors. Be proactive people! Melanoma can be deadly when not caught early because it is one of the more difficult cancers to treat. Prevention is the key, wear sunscreen, stay in the shade, "pale" is the new tan ;)

if only one person takes this to heart then your job is well done. I had a "spot" cut off of my back about 10 yrs ago and I was lucky it was not a cancerous spot however the cutting off hurt like hades!! Maybe the spot on your forehead will turn out to be nothing of importance at all.

On another note....
Look forward to reading your blog each day! Love you humor, wisdom and insight! Some days makes me laugh out loud!!

I am right on board with you Heather. I have had several suspicious spots removed and now am a skin nazi for me and my family. They hate me. But I don't care.

Without stopping to read all the posts along the way to see if this question has been asked already, had John ever noticed the spot before you brought it to his attention? I just got a bit of a laugh out of "has it changed color?" 'Cause how could he possibly know? :-) Good for you, making your children's father take care of himself -- men are terrible at it!

Oh my god, googling "skin cancer" yielded the most horrifying images known to man.

Thanks for sharing your story Heather. I actually got my diagnosis YESTERDAY. I go in for surgery the first of June to have a spot removed from my leg. I too had to get my vanity in check. Because of my addiction to tanning, I am now going to have a hole in my leg. So thanks for sharing, like you...I will now constantly be checking every spot on my body for the rest of my life. Vanity is a bitch!

Thanks for this post. I've been meaning to go to a dermatologist forever to get some spots checked out, but something always seems to come up and I think, "I'll do that next week." You have officially convinced me to make an appointment TODAY!

If it turns out I catch any cancer early, I'll give you credit for saving my life. HERO!

Dooce, I called the dermatologist today and made an appointment! Here's to you, Roberta.

thanks for posting this. I'm 38 weeks pregnant myself and have a bottle of 70 SPF baby sunscreen in the cabinet ready to go. My baby's daddy had a large section of his scalp removed due to melanoma right before we found out we were pregnant. At his 3 month check up they found out he had Hodgkins Lymphoma. Luckily because he had a nagging wife telling him to go get his mole checked out we were able to treat both early on. He'll be done with treatments 3 days before my due date, whew. I'll be so excited to celebrate his first father's day with him as a new dad and a 2x cancer survivor at 35.
It never hurts to get it checked out. Roberta can't salsa her way out of this one.

Heather- thanks for the reminder to all of us. My mother died of melanoma when she was 55, I was 22. My mother was a beautiful, fair-skinned, light-eyed, red head. I got the fair skin and light eyes but not the great red hair! :( She had a mole on her back that (in retrospect) was the likely culprit. So many factors impacted the possibility of early detection - it was on her lower back so she didn't see it regularly, she was divorced (i.e. no partner to help her notice), I, the baby in the family, had left for college so i wasn't around as often either. We had noted the mole before but she wrote it off as 'just another mole' - but it was ugly...we should've known. During one visit home from college I was rubbing her back and noticed the mole was gone...there was a mark on her skin where it had once resided and i asked her if she had it removed but she said 'no, it must have fallen off.' Unfortunately that is not how skin cancer operates. it was only a year or so later when she began having other symptoms...digestive problems that were misdiagnosed as acid reflux and then a brain bleed but even then doctors didn't realize what was going on. It took nearly 2 months before she was diagnosed...once they realized she had a mass the size of a football in her abdomen and the biopsy revealed melanoma...then they realized it had metastisized to her brain, causing the bleed. Doctors told us there was no treatment, no hope. She died just 3 weeks after her diagnosis.
My mom was not a sunbather, she did not frequent tanning beds, or refuse to use sunscreen. I am sure she had an occassional sunburn but never due to intentional exposure. Melanoma is not a punishment given to those who subject their skin to harsh elements of the sun...it is just another horrible type of cancer that can happen to anyone, but especially those of us who are fair-skinned, light-eyed, or who have a family history.
I visit my dermatologist every year, I am an avid user of sunscreen for myself and my daughter, and I am on a personal campaign to make pale skin fashionable! :) I hope everyone reading your post will do the same!

I recently had two moles removed and biopsied, with one coming back with mildly atypical cells and the other clean. My husband had two taken last week, still waiting on biopsy results.
Thank you for writing about this--so many people just don't take that bastard sun seriously.

Whew! I'm just glad you finally posted something a little more along the lines of the WE ARE ALL GOING TO DIE pathos. Who said wrinkly comforter and mismatched tiles?

My mom had melanoma and that should've pushed me to the derm pronto, but it didn't.

SIGH.

Getting off duff...

It's not for not, Heather. When I was reading about your skin cancer detection/removal, last year?, it indeed prompted me to make an appointment with a dermatologist. Which meant finding one, for starters.
I felt so much better for taking care of this...I have fair skin and have been sunburned too many times to count, incl. one particularly bad incident where my face had 2nd degree burns.
I checked out OK. Thank you so much for sharing your story, as it definitely inspired me to be proactive about my health in this regard.

I find it amusing that the cream you've been prescribed to treat Roberta is the same cream used to treat genital warts.

my dermatologist is ADORABLE. i didn't know this when i called to make an appointment about 6months post-partum, i just knew the acne was getting out of control and i had a mole to remove, not b/c it was bad but b/c it was in an annoying place and i'd always wanted it removed. it was august, i was pale as a ghost, frumpy, leaking breastmilk, with a baby on my hip coming into the office, as this young, sexy, skinny chicklette was leaving, being chastized publicly in the waiting room by a hottie for having gotten too much sun and how she was going to die if she didn't start being more careful. how fun to discover this hottie was my doctor, i was his next patient, and he praised my milky white complexion as being excellent (apart from the acne, which he gave me cream for and all was better). vindication!

Thank you for spreading the news! I was diagnosed with melanoma after finding a dark mole on my back at the age of 24. People need to realize that the earlier you "catch" cancer, especially the fast-spreading melanoma, the higher your chances are of not having to go through the horrors of chemo and radiation (which I did not, thankfully! But I know many who have) or a slow painful death. Please, please, please everyone - if you see anything that makes you even slightly suspicious ... don't wait! Go see your dermatologist! Especially if you have a family history of skin cancer, like I do.

Thank You so much for writing this. I have been wanting to see a dermatologist for quite some time (i found TWO troubling spots on my back). I have called a few dermatologist around town and ALL of them want my primary doctor to refer me to them. Sigh. So I made an appointment with my primary doctor...and the earliest they can get me in - 3 months from now! So i wait 3 months for a doctors appt...so i can wait 3 more for the next doctors appointment. So frustrating.

Your post reminds me though to keep pushing these doctors to take it seriously and get me in. So thank you. I fully plan to be a persistant little Bitch until they check out my spots.

Thanks for the cold shower. I've been putting this off for months, nay years. Time to call the doctor, get a referral to a dermatologist. My hands are starting to look like dragon skin.

Hey, check out the latest copy of Good Housekeeping. There is an article in there about a woman who used the Aldera. Pretty interesting...I just had a full body exam myself. And I thought the gyno was an awkward appointment. Eek.

Glad to hear that you caught that pre-cancerous spot in time. And I hope that Jon's mole is not cancerous.

Both my father and uncle have had melanoma. Sadly, my uncle lost his battle a few years back. My dad uses the same medication as you to treat the precancerous moles. Since having a baby, I am much concerned about everyone's skin, especially the baby's skin. When I went to the pharmacy to ask about sunscreen, the manager had the gall to say that he never used sunscreen on his children and they turned out fine. Yikes! Nonetheless, I purchased a tube of sunscreen for when Wes is a little older and spends some more time in the sun.

My husband's had two or three sorts of skin cancer (not melanoma)so far, and he's due for a check by his dermatologist.

As for me, I had one close call. My dermatologist took an irregularly-shaped mole off my foot a few years ago that turned out to be nothing. But I could tell by the look on his face he thought my days were SO numbered. He basically warned me not to even look at sunny photos or I could get melanoma. Next time he sees me I imagine him bursting into tears, silently wording my obituary to himself.

Blondish/fair skin/freckled soul that I am, that puts me in the top category for skin cancer. Thank goodness I've never been a sun worshipper. I'm closer to a vampire, actually, minus the teeth. And the taste for blood.

Ewww!

Hey, this is my first time commenting, though I've stalked your blog a long time. I grew up in Hawaii, where I had an awesome tan but never ever applied sunscreen. I'm in my mid-20s now, and I've been thinking for a while about going to a dermatologist to have him check out some moles. This post made me actually make an appointment. So, thank you!

Why thank you Heather for the timely reminder! My doc just told me last week to make an appointment with a dermo for a mole check. For me it wasn't very urgent so I needed a little nudge I guess! Also people don't forget sunscreen on our part in your hair, and your scalp if you are balding! Very very easy to burn there!

I read your blog every day but have never commented. Thank you for bringing up such an important topic. I work for the American Cancer Society and am due to give a talk about melanoma in just a couple of minutes. We can do all the research in the world to find cures for cancer, but the best way to treat cancer is to catch it early. Knowing your body and checking out any abnormalities is the most vital step in decreasing your risk of dying from cancer. Thank you for the reminders!

Let me warn you as half of a couple where both parties have had to use Aldara for other issues, you can get a nasty immune-like reaction to the cream which feels like flu and is fairly miserable. You may want to consider this in the timing of your use.

Thanks for sharing this about skin cancer. My cousin went through a similar experience and I do try to be aware of any unusual moles on my skin as well. I had a cyst removed a few years ago that came back fine, and now have my own personal dermatologist but this reminded I haven't been for an annual exam in over 3 years!

Great insight for those of us who loved to "bake" in the sun in our younger years!

My husband has has a weird little dry patch of skin on his cheek for a couple of months. I think your post may actually get him to go to the doctor.

Thank you!

Thanks for the reminder

Running a Plastic Surgery Center, I see skin cancer all the time. It is much more prevalent in youg women than most people realize, so get that thing taken care of and get John's too! I am only 26, but I have sworn off the sun. I want to be old and pretty not old and look like an old leather boot! Tell Roberta to pack her bags! Oh, and get a good plastic surgeon to remove the one on your forehead, you don’t want an ugly scar right there for everyone to see!

Damn, cancer is such a rancid bitch.

I've been SUPER lucky that, instead of cancer running in my family, it's only obesity, depression and coronary arty disease (this is not sarcasm- I make it a point to eat right and exercise regularly to thwart my genetic ancestry).

I fit in with the group of people labeled "White as you can be without having a pigmentation deficiency". I do not tan, I burn. And when I put forth all of the effort and tanning lotion to BE tan, it just looks fake and uneven. I also have massive amounts of freckles on my face, arms and various other sun-exposed parts of my body (luckily they have started to fade with age). All of my face moisturizers and lotions have some degree of SPF in them, and I try to be foundation and concealer that contain some, too.

What's Jon's mole's name? I vote for Dick Cheney. You could call it "Tricky" as a nickname.

My cousin died of melanoma at the age of 32...he had found a mole on his back, and a few years later, we buried him. There is no such thing as being too paranoid about this. Thanks for informing the public about the risks and signs that can lead to cancer.

I would love to be able to call my mother, but she died two years ago from-you guessed it-skin cancer. Please, always wear sunscreen and a hat, and don't forget your children.

I'm so happy you share this sort of information to make people more aware. I have lots of skin issues, partly because I'm 41 and there was NO SUCH THING as SUNSCREEN when I was a child. I had dark hair but fair skin with freckles. I get my skin checked yearly! Thanks for sharing Heather!

Also, Aldera is most commonly used to treat genital warts so guests might judge you when they go through your medicine cabinet.

At least you aren't a bald man. My father-in-law had to use that topical medication (a similar one, at least) on his entire head. ONE HALF AT A TIME. So, he was teaching classes while half of his bald head was peeling off.

Woo for having hair!

sometimes, they may not even look like a mole, but be aware of anything that changes. I had a doo-hicky on my hand (looked like a very, very tiny wart) that started to grow, just a little. I really thought it was nothing, but my inner voice said otherwise. The dr. didn't even think it was anything, but removed it anyway. It turned out to be something with spitz cells, which carry the same dna as cancer. I'd never heard of it, and neither had the hand surgeon who needed to take a small chunk out of my hand.

I recently had a giant basal cell carcinoma removed from my decolletage. It's still healing, bruised, and ugly. I have sutures under the skin that won't dissolve for another 2 months. It makes for a very sexy neckline. I also have two large chunks of skin missing from my left back and right hip from moles closer to melanoma then they are to suspicious moles.

Blech. Where do I sign up for American Cancer Society ads? ;)

It's a bit cosmic that you posted this today. I just went to the dermo this morning to check on a suspicious mole. Turns out I am going to have to have it biopsied. Am I worried? Um, yeah! Actually, FREAKED out is a little more like it. But I am trying to put it out of my mind until I get the results.

I am freckly and careless and love the sun. Thanks for the reminder to stop being a dope and take better care of my skin! I have all these dark moles on my arms and shoulders that I have deemed harmless, but what do I know! Going to get them checked out... I'm so spotted though I'm afraid I'm going to come back looking like swiss cheese.

My husband just had a keratosis removed from his head. He shaves his head anyway, and now he's sporting a little round bandaid in the spot the tore out the nasty business. This is his second or third round with this stuff. He'll deal with it the rest of his life.

The same week that my husband's dermatologist found this, my father told me that his urologist detected an infinitesimally small amount of cancer in his prostate. They caught it *miraculously* early, so he'll be okay after some radiation treatment.

I hope.

Good luck, Heather. Skin checks every 6 months are a part of your life from now on. :) It will save your life.

Thank you, Heather, for revisiting this on a regular basis. I've had 6 precancerous spots removed for the same reason - loved that Hawaiian Tropic SPF2 Tanning Oil. Bright for someone who is so pale they absorb light rays like a sponge.

I'm sure there are smug trolls out there thinking "What's the big deal? What a hypochondriac!" Well, the older sister of my equally pale friend from HS died last year when her skin cancer came back after 2 years and metastasized to her lungs. She was gone in two weeks.

Keep naming the invaders and keep reminding people - you make us laugh, you make us cry and maybe you'll save a life. Not a bad day's work.

As a dermatologist I remove lots of skin cancers. I always amazed at how young my patients are becoming, and its not only because I'm getting older. The youngest patient I've had with a basal cell carcinoma is 16 - no underlying genetic disorders, just lots of sun. I for one never mind seeing patients with spots that turn out to be nothing, so don't put off the check. As far as sunscreen: SPF 30 EVERY day, spf 45 for the beach. Zinc oxide or titanium dioxide of 9% or more will give you better protection than anything chemical and put on lots. Most SPF ratings are based on a full body application of more than an ounce, so a bottle of sunscreen should last one person about 3 days at the beach - less if you reapply like you should.

PS - Jon's spot is a seborrheic keratosis, so don't worry too much. This does not mean he shouldn't see your dermatologist. Families that play together get similar amounts of sun together. Many times I'll see a patient who has found a new SK but not noticed the actual skin cancer elsewhere.

Thanks for writing this. I just went for a check-up yesterday and I have to have 4 spots removed. I asked if I could wait until fall and she practically took my head off w/ her NO. So I'm starting to really work myself up and this calmed me down a bit.

I hate to say it... I hardly ever use sunscreen. In fact, the few times that i have used it (and reapplied liberally every couple of hours), I have ended up with the most awful sunburns. When I go without, my skin tans and is fine. I am convinced that at least in my case, sunscreen is a conspiracy.

Thank you for the reminder... and I'd like to add, Ladies, please don't wait longer for an appointment with a female dermatologist if you have any concerning spots! I just called U of U, and there's a 2-month wait for a female doc, but I made an appointment elsewhere with a male doctor for next Wednesday. One week vs. two months? Don't put it off!

It doesn't even matter if you were irresponsible as a teen. I am 26, have never had a burn, have always worn at least SPF 30 every day(more when I'm beaching) and I had 2 pre-cancerous moles removed. I am very fair w/ dark hair so even as a child, I was covered in SPF.

Ladies, you do monthly breast exams..why not a full body scan? Ask your sig other to look(it could turn into fun)

And of course, a yearly check by a doc is important.

Aren't the keratosis just 'lovely'! I have a few on my forehead that are currently being treated by a dermatologist. I've had a malignant melanoma removed from my leg (at 36 years of age) and have a few BCCs that will be dealt with once I cease breastfeeding.

My GP failed to identify my melanoma. I asked him for a referral to a dermatologist to treat the solar keratosis on my forehead and for the cosmetic removal of the weird mole on my leg. The Dermatologist was shocked at the size, discolouration, change in texture etc of the mole and whipped it out straight away fearing that it was a significantly bad melanoma. Fortunately for me, although it was malignant, it was confined within the epidermis and could be removed 'in situ' and didn't require further exploration of lymph nodes and Chemo/Radiation therapy. Try digesting that concept when you're 5 months pregnant.

Moral to story, get a referral to a dermatologist for a proper skin cancer screen at least once in your early adult life. GPs and 'skin cancer clinics' are not trained professionals.

#106 - Dermatologists first do a visual scan, using one of those bright lights. If anything looks suspicious to them, they usually get a magnifying glass with a light and take a closer look. If they are concerned, they'll remove it for biopsy. In a lot of cases, this involves a 'punch' removal. With very small needles (and if you are like me, you don't look) they inject the area with lidocaine or something similar. They wait until they are sure it's taken effect, and then use a small tool that is round with sharp edges which punches a small hole around the suspicious tissue and removes it. They then apply a few stitches and close the hole. Since the area is deadened, you don't feel it. I've had 6 of these done with no problems, and I REALLY don't like needles.

#144 - Don't try to self-diagnose - make an appointment. As many of the commenters have said, it's hard to tell what is or isn't bad - even the doctors can't be sure visually, and thus the biopsies.

To cut the squeamish feeling of someone looking over every inch of my body, I hunted until I found a female dermatologist. Much less humiliating!

I have used Aldara before for skin cancer! I had a derm prescribe it a few years ago. At the time, it was used as a trial med for skin cancer and usually only prescribed for GENITAL WARTS! Hello? Like I want to walk into a pharmacy and ask for that stuff? I did and it worked! Roberta will scab up like you have a sore, and then heal herself up within a week or two. Make-up may not cover it.

I have a Roberta I need checked - it sounds exactly how you have described yours - on my forehead, too. Fun fun! I have had two skin cancers removed - welcome to California!

Ah, the skin cancer survivor's club--what a place. Where you can never relax because the one you had removed has friends who vow revenge.

I've been through melanoma twice and find at least one scary mole a year. Fun.

Heather ~ living in Juneau, where we have something like, 300 days of precipitation a year, it's easy to take skin cancer for granted as something that will never happen to you. You have made me re-think my visits to the tanning salon, and I used to LIVE for my 15 minutes of sun a few times a week come summer time. Now I actually look at all those little moles & bumps on my body & wonder...what did that thing used to look like?? And you can bet I will always, always put sunscreen on Ellis.

I think it's fabulous that you are writing about this but also that the American Cancer Society is a sponsor. I know two people who have died because of melanoma and even I need the reminder to slap the sunscreen on me and my kids. Gone are the days of slathering on the baby oil!

Just like #42 I am also a Roberta but I don't mind too much if you choose the name for your mole.
I have been called an alien but never a mole!

I do have to get the courage to check some of my not so beauty spots, specially one that is getting a bit rough on my forehead.

Thanks for the incentive.
I do like the title of the post!

PS: Your book is GREAT.
I just finished it two days ago, and even if I was never able to have kids I still think the book is a great gift you gave women in general. Keep writing, here, there and everywhere, you do have a gift.

Heather, I'm a dermatologist in Richmond, Va.
Relax about your husband. From your picture, it looks like a BENIGN seborrheic keratosis. These are harmless warty growths that occur universally in humans...it's more a sign of advancing decrepitude than incipient death.

Of course you should have a local derm look at it (my legal disclaimer). They're 100% benign, he will get more, if he hates it, it can be easily peeled off with liquid nitrogen freezing, but insurance doesn't cover cosmetic procedures.
If it's symptomatic, your derm may be sympathetic and take it off for 'biopsy' (wink-wink).

RELAX.

Feel free to email me privately if you have any other skin related questions. I'm a pretty damned great dermatologist!

PS- I saw you on Oprah and spent 2 weeks of my life reading 8 years of your blog beginning at timeline zero. It made me very grateful to be entering the shriveled ovary stage of my life.

I had a pre-cancerous mole removed about four years ago and just had another checked. It actually turned out to be something called a dermatofibroma, not cancerous. But now I have another suspicious marking on the back of my hand. It sounds terrible, but the reason I don't go in is because my insurance is incredibly terrible and I'm your typical poor working-class person. I know it sounds so dumb but if it turns out to be nothing, like it did last time, I'm out the $$ for the appointment. I also guess I'm not sure if I should seek out a dermatologist or stick with my regular doctor. It seems like the insurance companies make it extra difficult for people to seek treatment for anything.

Question for the Dermatologists here. I have many, many moles which always change and itch and act weird. Is there a good reason my Dr. backed waaay of on what he is willing to remove? We actually had a little "discussion" regarding a strange changing mole that I felt he should take off. He declined and brushed me off. He previously would take off 3-5 moles on an annual visit. Some are mild to moderate. Should I be searching for a new guy?

Aw, shit.

I mean ... thank you.

I have really fair skin and although I wear a lot of SPF (this decade), so much so that it looks like I am wearing head-to-toe Spanx, I have noticed various spots on my skin over the last few years. I looked at the colored ones and they seem *round*, so I haven't been concerned.

More importantly, I have totally ignored THE SANDPAPER ONES that have been appearing more and more frequently. While I am cautiously optimistic, I will definitely be getting those suckers checked out. Thanks for the info on actinic keratosis.

http://images.search.yahoo.com/images/view?back=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.sear...

check out the image i linked:

yeah, it looks like a melanoma to my associate and i but the biopsy will be able to confirm the stage and prognosis.

get it checked out so it can be removed ASAP (it may take a few cuttings to remove the entire cancer) and speak with the oncologist about chemo (to ensure that if it spread, it wont attack a vital organ)

I have nowhere near your readership but like you, I have been yelling it from the rooftops for a while now -- especially since my brother-in-law started Interferon treatments last year. I've blogged about the numerous moles I've had removed (just search "melanoma" on my blog) and believe me, the untrained eye can NOT distinguish cancerous moles from non-cancerous moles most of the time.

Glad Jon is being checked out.

Carol

I work for the American Cancer Society and want to thank you for bringing attention to such an important issue. This is a great post and so timely because May is Skin Cancer Awareness Month!

Here's some ACS info that might be helpful to your readers about skin checks http://tinyurl.com/qd4cmb and another page about protecting yourself from UV rays http://tinyurl.com/plda4f.

We're so thrilled to be sponsoring your site. It's clear from reading your post and your readers' comments that so many of us have been deeply affected by cancer. Speaking of sponsors, the Society's new "Official Sponsor of Birthdays" campaign is all about creating a world with less cancer and more birthdays. We hope you all will join the movement for more birthdays by declaring ACS the official sponsor of your bday at http://www.morebirthdays.com.

My friend lost her 18 year old brother to melanoma. Thanks for spreading the awareness.

I don't know if yo read the comments or not, but I just want to warn you about using Aldara. I was put on it for a type of HPV that could be cured with the cream. I had a very bad reaction to the cream, and while I was using it I also noticed that I had a very hard time swallowing, almost like my throat was closing up. Since stopping it, the skin that had become really irritated to the point of it bleeding and becoming pussy, has since grown back, but for about three weeks I couldn't use the bathroom without it burning and fighting the urge to cry. I suggest you google Aldara before you start using it, because most of the time a doctor will prescribe something but will overlook the side effects, and believe me when I say this because my parents are both in the drug industry. Plus, I have great insurance through my work, and after it all, the cream cost me $45 to fill. I don't know if you have insurance, but it's a pretty expensive drug.

Well, I've never commented before but now I feel compelled to.

Why? I spent 2 months exactly a year ago afraid that I had skin cancer. I had a nasty (DISGUSTING) scabby, ooozy mess on my face that no amount of biopsies and scrapings could diagnose. Turned out to be a bacterial infection, thanks to the spa that gave me a facial with some contaminated cream or something. Ugh. I walked around Italy for 2 weeks with bandaids on my face feeling like a leper. Now I have a scar to remind me of the whole crappy experience and I too, am a reformed sun worshipper who does her best not to lecture those who refuse to wear sunscreen.

Anyhow... you get a billion comments and I'm just another stranger telling you her story, but my fingers and toes are crossed for ya cuz cancer can bite my ass. Good luck :)

I had a 10 month old daughter when I got the call that the mole I had removed for cosmetic reasons (sounds funny to me now) was melanoma. Hello? Wha?

3 years later, following a billion biopsies, another daughter, and facing the realization that I am "uninsurable", I am grateful to be alive. Every single blessed messy day.

Good for you Heather. Had I let it go 6 months, I may not even be here to raise my gorgeous children. Scream it non-stop: catch it before it catches you.

In Indianapolis and Chicago we have "Outrun the Sun"...a great Race for the Cure-style walk to raise money and awareness for Melanoma. Honestly? I don't like walking as a survivor; there just aren't many of us. It's like walking with a spotlight on you. But I'll walk again if it means someone goes to the dermatologist.

Indiana Lori

I have also had too many moles to count removed in the past 20 years. That's a lot of biopsies. I always think that "this time" it will be melanoma and I am not a happy person the entire time I wait for the call. So far, all of mine have been "atypical" yet benign. I have hundreds of moles. It's hard to spot changes, and new ones show up all the time. So my dermatologist and I are VERY well acquainted. Thanks for the post and hopefully all the people who are really in denial about the sun and the risks may get checked.

Thank you for the post. Just this week I noticed a new spot on my nose, scaley like the description and everything. I'll get it checked out now. Melanoma runs in my family, but I was all "it can't happen to me." Better safe than sorry.

That's really scary because your description of actinic keratosis sounds a lot like what my patches of eczema feel like. How would I tell the difference???

My best friend died of melanoma at age 32. (20 years ago) We used to lie out on black tar roofs, spraying ourselves with baby oil at noon to get a great tan. Many regrets about that. And now my skin is ugly. USE SUNSCREEN!

Heather thank you for this post. I had no idea that May was Cancer Awareness month. Heather as many of us I learned from you on Oprah and fell in love with your oh so smart & witty posts about your life. I don't know how you do it. I'm Latina and I use a dictionary to read your posts. :o)

I fell in love with it so much that I decided to make one as well. I'm alone a lot with 3 girls under 7 plus a stinky male lab because of my husbands deployments. I'm not nearly as close to writing like you but I'm trying A LOT. Thank you! for being so honest and to the point! Gracias & Mahalo!

Thanks for the reminder....I really need to get on this. I have finally gotten around to going back to my OB/GYN...2 years after my 2nd daughter... :-o, I'll make the dermatologist appointment next.

And you're eyes are so beautiful. Ugh...I'm the only one in my house with brown eyes in a family of 5. Well, me and the dog. :-(

Skin cancer is a horrible type of cancer if not caught early, with most fatal results. Please be like Dooce, layer on the sunscreen and protect your kids!!! Having a blistering sun burn in childhood increases one's risk of developing skin cancer. Remember to check your moles for any changes and go to a doctor immediately. Rest in Peace Sarah http://que-sarah-sarah.blogspot.com/ and John http://overcode.yak.net/3, just two of the bloggers I found have documented their fights against skin cancer. Thank you Dooce for reminding people!

DON'T MESS WITH THIS...GO TO A DOC IMMEDIATELY!

I ended up with Stage IVB Malignant Melanoma with no fore warning...think I am paranoid? DAMN right I am!

Don't mess with this...the hell I went through for three years (52 weeks of chemo and then the recovery...I would not go through it again!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

GO TO DOC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Peace and Blessings...

Thank you for this, cause I clearly fall into the #3 category. I think I'll be finding a dermatologist in my area to re-look at a mole I've had for years (I remember freaking out about it in high school), plus one I remember developed during the summer between my sophomore and junior years of college. I hope they're nothing (considering the older one's been around for over a decade, and the newer one's been around for at least 6 years), but it's always good to check these things out.

Seriously, thanks!

At the age of 26 I've had five friends under the age of 30 that have had the same thing you have...I think a freak out of any nature at the slightest deformed freckle is warranted.

12 weeks of treatment?

Why not have the spot frozen off? That's what I've done with my actinic keratoses. Sure, it looks like your face was exposed to radiation for a couple days, but then you're done.

Forget about what if you go on a book tour with a big red hickey on your forehead. Think about how stupid you'll look on your book tour with no hair because you had to have chemo because you didn't treat something when you could have.

GOOD GOD WOMAN.

And I'm saying this out of love. You know that. We've had this conversation before, you and I, and I know how much cancer sucks.

My goodness, how did I get on this soapbox?

SAYONARA ROBERTA. YOU ARE NOT WELCOME HERE. Buh-bye.

Thank you so much for the reminders. It's so important. My doctor just saved my life by removing a supicious mole that turned out to be melanoma. Would've never suspected a thing. I'm going to be fine because we got it early enough (although I have a nasty 6 inch scar from the removal of a Texas size of skin around the mole site). Get those spots checked out!

Just be careful with the Aldera. It literally ate the skin off my teenage daughters cheeks, it was awful. This may not happen to most people, I don't know, and I hope it doesn't happen to you. Just keep a close eye how it affects your skin.

I am in no way making fun of Roberta. Nor am I making light of skin cancer, my grandfather died from it.

What kills me is that your skin is so flawless that you actually notice that tiny spot on your forehead.

Meanwhile Keith Richards visits both my cheeks from time to time and sometimes naps on my chin.

Hope all is well with Jon's mole and Roberta. Cancer is an asshole.

Thanks for the post, I think I have one on my forehead.

Thanks Heather. Your earlier posts actually did prompt me to make an appointment with the dermatologist. When he looked at me, he practically rolled his eyes -- I live in Tucson, so gross skin damage from the sun is pretty common -- and said my moles were all fine. I was totally relieved, though, and I got a cool "how strong is the sun" thing to put in my car. So to everyone reading this -- get it checked out! If it's cancer, you need treatment; if it isn't, it's a massive relief to know that too.

I have some in my family who are prone and live in South Africa. We have found out the hard way that these things should never be ignored. Get it checked folks.

Moles rule. I have a huge hairy one on my elbow. HOW FUCKING SEXY IS THAT?

Just told my fiance, His Moliness, to get an appointment. I am covered in freckles, and he, moles. Our future kids are already doomed.

That mark on his back doesn't look like a mole to me. Its gone beyond that. Good on you for making an appointment pronto.

I'm in the same club as you. Only I haven't started naming my cancerous spots. Interesting idea though.

I'm a redhead currently living in Florida. A family history of melanoma. I grew up in NJ but vacationed in FL and the Caribbean. I was even a lifeguard for 6 summers. All without a lick of sunscreen.

My dad was in his 60's when his first spot appeared. I was in my 30's. I can't go to the dermatologist without getting SOMETHING scraped, cut, excised, or cauterized.

When my kids were younger and screamed about putting sunscreen on I reminded them to think of Grandfather's face. He had to have reconstructive surgery on his nose due to melanoma. That gets the kids lathered up real quick.

Thank you for discussing this. The people that make me want to scream are the ones who tell me that sunscreen causes skin cancer!

If you think your moles are bad now, wait'll you hit 50. At that point they start popping up all over the place like mushrooms after a rainstorm.

Lubriderm and Aveeno both make daily moisturizers that are 15spf. Not the thing for a day at the beach, but I slather them on any exposed skin no matter what time of day or year.

Thanks for writing more about this, Heather. I understand your paranoia. My 76 year old father had some skin cancer removed from his ear in December. They told him to be diligent in checking his skin, since what they removed was a "traveller." Scary!

I think it is so awesome that you posted a picture of Jon's mole and your suspicious spot. So many people don't take sun-protection as seriously as they should and you posting these photos will definitely make some people think about their own skin issues.

I, too, have had skin cancer. At the ripe age of 26 I had a basal cell. That was several years ago and now I have a small barely noticable scar on my right cheek. I'm super careful in the sun. But I could stand to be even more careful.

Thanks for the reminder. You have brought some reality to this issue that so many feel invincible about.

thanks! after i read a few of your skin-related entries, it did occur to me how simple it would be to just get checked out. i went for a whole body scan. awkward but needed, considering my fair, freckleness, age and sunburn history (we're talking spring-break-at-gulf-shores-burns). turns out i had three areas of conern. i have removed two moles and am waiting on the other. thanks for spreading the word.

This is so timely because my husband went back for his followup visit yesterday. And they removed two more moles (3 were removed and deemed cancerous 4 months ago). So now he's on a 4-6 month follow-up with the dermatologist from now until who knows. And I'm sure each time, they'll remove more and more.

I'm glad I finally suggested his dermatologist MOM look at him!

Thank you for this! Great post and you've definitely reminded me that I need to get a couple of moles checked out by a dermatologist. No time like the present :)

I'm as neurotic as you at checking every change in moles. Unfortunately, I'm covered in them, so it's a lot of checking.

I've had seven moles removed, four of which turned out to be the very early stages of skin cancer. I need to go back for a follow-up, especially since I've seen changes in other moles. Unfortunately, my husband lost his job last year, and we've had no insurance, and well, dermatologists aren't cheap and are about the least likely doctors to work out a deal with you. (I've tried.)

I finish nursing school next month, and hope to get a job in a hurry just so I have insurance to get to the dermatologist again. I hate playing with my life by waiting for insurance. (Hear that, Obama? We need health care reform!)

I'd encourage everyone to get their skin checked at least once a year by a dermatologist. Even more than that if you're Whitey McPale like me and didn't listen to your mother about wearing sunscreen as a kid.

It is a very good thing about getting Jon to the dermatologist, and I do understand the careful way you inspect each and every strange growth. Thanks also about the "feels sort of like sandpaper..." part. I do have a place like that on the back of my leg and forgot to have it looked at last year during my physical and skin check with the dermatologist. I've had an actinic keratosis removed from my lip.

I just had a huge chunk taken out of my leg for melanoma. Knowing family members had spots removed in the past, I called my mom to see if any were cancerous. Her response was as follows "No, we don't have any cancer that runs in the family. You have a Great Aunt that died of breast cancer, but no one else has had any cancers that are genetic." (note, mom knew mine was melanoma) "oh yeah, your great uncle on my side did have melanoma, he died from it." That is my mom's optimistic maternal instinct. Thankfully my doctor thinks she caught it in time. We are just waiting on the second pathology report.

Good luck with yours and thank you for bringing this to the attention of others.

Oh you HAD to remind this California girl why we need to wear sunscreen! Yes, yes, yes I will, but not happily.

Fourthing (or fifthing?) the warning about Aldara's side effects. I used it for warts and it made me feel like shit for about a day and a half every time I applied the stuff. I experienced flu-like symptoms similar to those described by others above. My discomfort was severe enough to make me seriously consider staying home from work, which is not something I do. Just sayin'