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Mary Lynn LeBlanc is grateful she didn’t know her skin cancer journey would be as “long and difficult” as it was when she was diagnosed with melanoma four years ago. She was “scared enough” already.

She had recently retired from a rewarding career as a public school teacher in Toronto and moved to London to be closer to her children and grandchildren. She noticed that a mole on her shoulder that had previously been biopsied was becoming more ragged around the edges and bleeding.

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Shortly after seeing a dermatologist, she was diagnosed with nodular melanoma, an aggressive type of skin cancer. LeBlanc was “shocked” by the diagnosis. “I was the person who never got sick,” says the 70-year-old.

Since then, she has undergone three surgeries. The first removed a large mass from her back, where the melanoma had spread. The melanoma recurred in scar tissue and was removed before eventually spreading to his lungs.

“I’ll never get a diagnosis without cancer,” she says. “Even though I’ve had several tests that have come back clear after my surgeries, I don’t hear, ‘Congratulations, you’re cancer free.’ I get a term called “no signs of illness”.

Because it can spread to other parts of the body, melanoma is a serious form of skin cancer, which is an abnormal growth of skin cells that can develop on any part of the skin, whether or not it is exposed to the sun.

The number of Canadians diagnosed with melanoma each year has more than tripled over the past three decades. An estimated 11,300 Canadians will be diagnosed with melanoma in 2024, resulting in 1,300 deaths.

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“The biggest misconception about melanoma is that it just can’t happen to you,” says Dr Maxwell Sauder, onco-dermatologist at Princess Margaret. Cancer center in Toronto. “If you have more than 100 moles, more than five atypical moles, or a family history of melanoma, you are at greater risk of developing skin cancer,” he warns.

“We know that about two-thirds of melanoma cases are due to UV exposure,” he says. “This doesn’t mean everyone should do activities only at night. People should be active, but they should wear sun-protective clothing and hats, use shade structures, and apply sunscreen generously and frequently – the higher the SPF, the better.

Checking your skin regularly is essential for early detection and to improve the chances of survival. Sauder suggests verification once a month the day of your birthday to make it easier to remember.

Although melanoma is more common in people with fair skin and/or light eyes, people with higher skin pigmentation can also develop this type of skin cancer. It is harder to spot in people with darker skin; however, we can sometimes identify it on the palms of the hands, under the nails or on the soles of the feet, all areas paradoxically little exposed to the sun.

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“It’s a disease that anyone can get, and the most important thing is to identify it as early as possible,” says Dr. Sauder.

This highlights the importance of public awareness efforts like that of Merck Canada Practice skiintimacyCampaignhe notes. It is PracticalSkintimacy.ca The website offers information on how to perform regular skin checks using a ruler and mirror to help examine hard-to-see areas.

To know what to look for, the site also offers an ABCDE guide (asymmetry, border, color, diameter and development), which explains the shape, appearance and growth of moles that can be signs of skin cancer.

You can also access Check-A-Mole through the site, a gamification of the ABCDE method developed by Spot the Dot. A non-profit organization Based in Austria, Spot the Dot was founded by melanoma survivor Marije Kruis with the aim of educating people about some of the signs of melanoma.

Kruis was diagnosed with melanoma ten years ago, at the age of 30, and remembers thinking that skin cancer “wasn’t really dangerous: you cut it out, then it goes away.” She used her experience as a video game journalist to develop Check-A-Mole to tackle the many misconceptions associated with melanoma, particularly the assumption that only fair-skinned people get it. skin cancer.

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This is why the game, available in seven languages, can be adapted to different skin tones. “We need to include the message that this is something that affects everyone, regardless of age, skin color or gender,” says Kruis.

His goal is to make the game accessible to all ages, including young adults who might not otherwise pay attention to moles. Kruis, who recently celebrated 10 years tumor-free, hopes the game will help them develop healthy, long-lasting skin habits.

LeBlanc, meanwhile, continues to see her oncologist and undergoes regular tests. She is grateful for the Melanoma Canada support group, is vocal about early detection and skin safety, and enjoys swimming, practicing yoga, and walking for the recommended hours. “I’m still here and I plan to continue to be here for a while,” she said. “I have a lot of plans and things to do.”

Talk to your doctor if you have skin problems and visit PracticalSkintimacy.ca to learn more about how to spot a suspicious mole and protect yourself against melanoma.

Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC. Used under license.

This story was created by Content worksthe commercial content division of Postmedia, on behalf of Merck Canada.

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