Posted by Intrepid on August 18, 2000 at 07:01:23:
In Reply to: Feel the water on your skin . . . . . posted by scubabum on August 17, 2000 at 09:18:49:
A sad story ... thanks for the post. Remember, folks, if you catch melanoma early enough, it's 100% curable. If you don't, it's one of the most aggressive and deadly forms of cancer. Doesn't respond well to chemo or radiation. Surgery, sadly, is still the best option.
My wife was diagnosed with melanoma about 4 years ago. She's a bit of a hypochondriac, so I wasn't too concerned when she mentioned an itchy mole. Thank god she went in; it was already in the "intermediate" stage. Now she has a huge gaping elliptical hole in her lower back, but it's my favorite place to lay my hand when we sleep. Her prognosis is excellent.
Remember, new moles, changed moles, itchy moles. Get 'em looked at, and I mean now. ABCD's -- Asymetrical shape; Borders irregular; Colors varying; Diameter larger than a pencil eraser: these can all be indicators.
And finally, I recommend you see a dermatologist. My wife saw a GP, who was fairly new. The GP told her, after examining the mole, it wasn't melanoma, and it didn't need to come off (if they take it off, they automatically send it to pathology). My wife insisted. (The doctor was mortified and apologetic when she delivered the bad news).
Good luck to your friend. He'll be in our prayers.