These are not actors. They are real Canadians and Americans whose lives have been touched by melanoma, a malignant tumor of melanocytes. Melanocytes are cells that produce the dark pigment, melanin, which is responsible for the color of skin.
As the video urges, watch for the signs and symptoms -- it really can happen to anyone.
Early signs of melanoma are changes to the shape or color of existing moles or in the case of nodular melanoma the appearance of a new lump anywhere on the skin (such lesions should be referred without delay to a dermatologist). At later stages, the mole may itch, ulcerate or bleed. Early signs of melanoma are summarized by the mnemonic "ABCDE":
- Asymmetry
- Borders (irregular)
- Color (variegated), and
- Diameter (greater than 6 mm (0.24 in), about the size of a pencil eraser)
- Evolving over time
These classifications do not however apply to the most dangerous form of melanoma - nodular melanoma which has its own classifications:
- Elevated above the skin surface
- Firm to the touch
- Growing
Metastatic melanoma may cause non-specific paraneoplastic symptoms including loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting and fatigue. Metastasis of early melanoma is possible, but relatively rare: less than a fifth of melanomas diagnosed early become metastatic.
Please, pass this post along to anyone and everyone. Early detection is key and the key to early detection is awareness!
Bambi Blue is a freelance writer, editor, and social butterfly living in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. When she's not blogging her little heart out for HealthCareJobsite.com, she moonlights as a jazz musician and most apparently a weisenheimer. Loves to cook, hates to clean, and can easily be found on Twitter. To read more of Bambi's posts, head to HealthCareJobsite.com and see additional job postings at Nexxt.
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