Slip, Slop, Slap and Wrap!

Yesterday, Shane and I had a wonderful day golfing in the 2009 Sun Safe Golf Challenge at the Sturgeon Golf and Country Club. What a terrific tournament, a beautiful day, a gorgeous course and it was nice to see so many familiar faces. Congrats to Dr. Barry Lycka, Lyle Best of Quickcard and all their staff and volunteers for such a great day ... and for inviting us. Both Shane and I struggled on the course but it wasn't about our score, it was about having fun and spreading the word about skin cancer. A special thanks to all the businesses who joined 104.9 EZ ROCK by sponsoring a hole. If you were there thanks for supporting this very important cause.

Skin cancer - a very scary thing and it seems every time I turn around I hear of someone I know having it. I was shocked and saddened to learn yesterday that Lyle Best, who lost his lovely wife to cancer recently, now has skin cancer himself. I just about fell off my chair when he told is story at the banquet. I no sooner pulled myself together when another business associate came to say hello and told me that he is also going through treatment for skin cancer. Kelly said that he has the "good kind of skin cancer" - I didn't really think there were so many kinds or that there are cancers that are "better" to have than others? They are ALL scary in my books and if there's anything good to be said about it, it's that all skin cancers are avoidable. For years I was a sun worshiper - the hotter it was and the darker I got the better. Not so much anymore. I mean who doesn't like a great tan but from a bottle is a much better idea. Those lotions have come along way since the day they used to turn us orange. There's also the spray-on tan which I really must get around to trying.

There are a few different skin cancers you should know about. Basal Cell Carcinoma is the most common form of skin cancer. One out of every three new cancers is a skin cancer, and the vast majority are basal cell carcinomas, often referred to by the abbreviation, BCC. Although the number of new cases has increased sharply each year in the last few decades, the average age of onset of the disease has steadily decreased. More women are getting BCCs than in the past; nonetheless, men still outnumber them greatly.

Then there's Actinic Keratosis. The name may be unfamiliar, but the appearance is commonplace. Anyone who spends time in the sun runs a high risk of developing one or more. An actinic keratosis (AK) is a small crusty, scaly, or crumbly bump or horn that arises on the skin surface. The base may be light or dark, tan, pink, red, or a combination of these... or the same color as your skin and is often recognized by touch rather than sight. Occasionally it itches or produces a pricking or tender sensation. It can also become inflamed and surrounded by redness. In rare instances, actinic keratoses can bleed.

Then there's Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCC) which is the second most common form of skin cancer. Squamous cells are cells that compose most of the epidermis. An abnormal growth of these cells is known as a squamous cell carcinoma and there's Melanoma which is the most serious form of skin cancer. Even so, if diagnosed and removed while it is still thin and limited to the outermost skin layer, it's almost 100% curable. Once the cancer advances and spreads to other parts of the body, it is hard to treat and can be deadly. During the past 10 years the number of cases of melanoma has increased more rapidly than that of any other cancer.

The greatest gift you can gift yourself each month is time to look over your body for new spots that look a little ... strange. Have your partner or friend check your back - that's where a lot of spots start for men especially. Here are some tips courtesy of the Canadian Skin Cancer Foundation (www.canadianskincancer.com).

Great work by everyone involved yesterday .. and in the words of Dr. Lycka ... SLIP on your shirt, SLOP on your sunscreen, SLAP on your hat and WRAP on your sunglasses. Hope to see YOU participate in this tournament next year.

Have a great day!

~Seanna~

Coupled with a yearly skin exam by a doctor, self-examination of your skin once a month is the best way to detect the early warning signs of basal cell carcinoma , squamous cell carcinoma, and malignant melanoma, the three main types of skin cancer. Look for a new growth or any skin change.

What you'll need: a bright light; a full-length mirror; a hand mirror; two chairs or stools; a blow-dryer.

Examine head and face, using one or both mirrors. Use blow-dryer to inspect scalp.

Check hands, including nails. In full-length mirror, examine elbows, arms, underarms.

Focus on neck, chest, torso. Women: Check under breasts.

With back to the mirror, use hand mirror to inspect back of neck, shoulders, upper arms, back, buttocks, legs.

Sitting down, check legs and feet, including soles, heels, and nails. Use hand mirror to examine genitals.

Melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, is especially hard to stop once it has spread (metastasized) to other parts of the body. But it can be readily treated in its earliest stage.