FOOT MELANOMA

As the mercury rises and warmer weather kicks into high gear we’ll all be spending more time out doors. But, this doesn’t come without a price. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in the United States alone, one million Americans will be diagnosed with skin cancer this year. And now, new research has shown that foot melanoma is on the rise.

Joan McCabe works as a hospital administrator but never imagined that one day she’d be admitting herself. “A nurse noticed a mark on the side of my foot that she felt looked a little bit suspicious and recommended that I go to a doctor to have a biopsy.” It turned out that she had melanoma of the foot.
She was shocked when the diagnosis was made. “You know, being the mother of a small child and finding out that you have a potentially life threatening condition is indescribably scary. That day that I was told I had foot melanoma, I wondered whether I was being given a death sentence,” says Joan.
Foot melanoma is one of the deadliest of cancers, in part because of its tendency to quickly spread. According to data from the Journal of Foot and Ankle Surgery, melanoma of the foot is on the rise. The study found twice as many foot melanomas over ten years than were diagnosed in the previous twenty years. The latest research shows it carries only a 50-50 survival rate five years after being diagnosed.
Part of the reason, people simply don’t notice a blemish or a mole on their feet until it is too late. “We are looking at an average time span or delay of approximately 7 years before it’s noticed and something is done about it,” reports dermatologist, Dr. Ricardo Mejia.
The particular danger in the case of foot melanomas is due to the likelihood of a delay in diagnosis. The cancer cells will spread not only across the surface, but also down into the deeper layers of the skin. The deeper it goes, the worse it is. Ironically, many foot melanomas occur on the bottom of the foot, the one part of the body on which sunshine does not fall.
There is a growing controversy over what exactly causes foot melanoma and sun exposure may not be the only culprit. Immune system deficiencies and genetic factors may also play a role.
Mike Linsinbigler was 25 years old when he was diagnosed with foot melanoma. “I wasn’t in the sun any more than anyone else, and no one that I ever knew had had foot melanoma.” He couldn’t believe when doctors discovered he had a lower extremity melanoma.
“I had an operation they removed half of my shin to cut the melanoma out,” says Mike.
Some medical experts believe that severe blistering sunburns create damage to the skin DNA which causes the cells to turn cancerous. But, other experts think it’s a slower process related to repeated sun exposure. “Throughout our years we achieve a cumulative lifetime exposure of ultraviolet light radiation. This cumulative exposure is also a big risk factor,” says Dr. Mejia.
Mike is hoping the cancer doesn’t return. But for now, he does everything he can to prevent another melanoma from appearing. “I always wear sun block and hats and cover up as much as I can. I never really did that before I was diagnosed with melanoma.”
And Joan is now more vigilant about looking for any suspicious markings on her skin.
“I was lucky. My foot melanoma was caught very early and I have a wonderful, wonderful life because of that. If I ignored it I don’t know what the outcome would have been,” says Joan.
Many dermatologists believe that every one of us should have a thorough skin exam by a physician once a year. Medical experts say detecting melanoma at its earliest stage is the key to surviving the disease.
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