Three Lessons I Learned From Sharing My Cancer Journey OnlineIn December of 2019, I heard the words, "you have stage 4 melanoma" for the first time. It was the day my whole world turned upside down and everything would...reactions2comments
Is It Okay To Demand That Your Doctor Biopsy An Area?As a moderator for skincancer.net, I have read far too many comments from community members who've said that their doctor (or in some cases, even several doctors) told them that...reactions8comments
Spotting Melanoma on a Rival, Three BIG RED WORDS Can Save a LifeVancouver, British Columbia, and Seattle, Washington, are two amazingly beautiful cities separated by 142 miles and an international border. The two-hour (or so) drive along Interstate 5 between the two...reactionscomments
Efudex and What I Like to Call Back-tracingUnfortunately, many doctors don’t go into a lot of detail about the redness irritation that Efudex can cause. Skin cancer patients are often stunned when they begin looking at images...reactions5comments
New Year’s Skin Cancer ResolutionsIt’s that time of the year again! We are setting goals, we are going to eat better, exercise, read books, go for walks, call our friends and family on a...reactions2comments
Captaining an Emotional ShipStanding near midfield during pre-game warm-ups, I took in the sights and sounds of Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium in Midtown Memphis. Soon the Memphis Tigers would take on a football...reactions5comments
What's Heat Got to Do With It?It’s been unreasonably and, I’ll just say it, unseasonably warm in my area of Tennessee this winter. We are talking about 70 degrees on Christmas Day. Temperatures like this lead...reactionscomments
Community Views: AnesthesiaWe recently published an article detailing one advocate's experiences with anesthesia, and its use during skin cancer surgeries and related procedures (which you can read here). Many of our community...reactions9comments
"Shut Up About the Sun!"“Shut up about the Sun! SHUT UP about the SUN!” If you know, you know, right? This is an iconic quote by Gabe from The Office, and it’s spoken with...reactions2comments
Holiday Shopping and Skin CareIt’s that time of the year, with long lines, traffic, and package delivery vans on every street corner. It’s the holidays! People are traveling to some degree again and gift-giving...reactionscomments
Another Skin Cancer?My six-month checkup with my dermatologist is in a few weeks. For the past four months or so, I have been feeling pretty happy because I hadn’t noticed anything on...reactions7comments
Game Changer: Stage II Melanoma Treatment OptionEarlier this month, pharmaceutical company Merck announced FDA approval of its immunotherapy drug, Keytruda (pembrolizumab), as a treatment option for Stage IIB or IIC melanoma patients. FDA approval came after...reactions2comments
Good Riddance to PrednisoneAs a nudge by nature and a reporter by training, I’m good at asking the same question in different ways until I get an answer. Sometimes, truth be told, I...reactions8comments
UVA and UVB: Skin Cancer’s Tag TeamThanks to increasing advocacy efforts and the use of social media, we are all becoming more educated on the ways the sun can damage our skin. Having grown up without...reactions8comments
So Many People Are Tan, Even Though It’s November!I was in a store the other day, a store that is typically frequented by more women than men, and I noticed something strange: even though it was near the...reactions1comment
Osteoporosis, Vitamin D, and Skin Care“I don’t want to have vitamin D deficiency so I just skip sunscreen altogether.” I wish that I had a nickel for every time I have heard this. I could...reactions6comments
It's Always the Quiet Ones, Isn't It?Advocating for sun safe practices isn’t easy. If you have tried to convince family and friends to wear sunscreen, stop tanning, and stay out of the sun during peak hours...reactions2comments
Can you use SRT on a...?In the last few years, I have treated over 900 skin cancers. Just like each patient is different, so is each skin cancer site. I am a radiation therapist, and...reactions2comments
Is Skin Cancer More Prevalent in Florida?Most of us know how dangerous skin cancer is. And while you might think that the southern states have the highest rate of skin cancer, the findings might surprise you...reactions2comments
Skin Cancer Awareness and Making a Difference in the CommunityA while ago, I attended a movie called A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood starring Tom Hanks and Matthew Rhys. It was a lovely tale of forgiveness and redemption as...reactions2comments
