Jacqueline Mills is used to seeing stains, but this was different.
The 32 -year -old public school teacher rushed to a dermatologist after a small brand suddenly appeared in the right cheek, the threat of skin cancer weighed.
But instead of a diagnosis, Mills was dismissed. “They were worried that I had a scar on my face and did not want to try,” he told The Post. “It was when I sought a second opinion.”
It’s a good thing he did. Mount Sinai tests revealed that the site was the melanoma of the zero stage, a mortal form of skin cancer that has increased rapidly in young adults, especially in women.
Known to spread quickly throughout the body, melanoma can endanger life in just six weeks if it is not.
Mole patrol
With a family history of melanoma, Mills was not foreign to skin checks and obtained a complete body exploration of his dermatologist once a year.
While he was “covered with spots”, the cheek mark emphasized when he began to change and grow rapidly.
“The first thing I noticed was that there was a bit of discoloration, a lighter side than the other side,” said Mills.
“What really left me was that the borders were very overwhelmed and irregular. The form was also strange, it was not a perfect circle,” he added.
These are classic red flags for leather cancer, said Dr. Jesse Miller Lewin, vice -president of surgical operations and head of the system of Dermatological and Cosmetic Surgery Division of the Mount Sinai Health System.
He told The Post that an easy way to remember the warning signs is to follow melanoma abcdes:
- A It is for asymmetry: cancerous mols are usually damaged.
- B It is for the border: Melanomas often have unequal edges.
- C It is for color: Look for injuries that are more than one color or shadow.
- D It is diameter: spots above 6 mm (about a pencil draft size) are a concern.
- With It is for evolution: changes in the size, shape or color of a mole can be dangerous.
“A story of change or” evolution “of an existing pigmented injury is the most predictive sign of melanoma among all ABCDE criteria,” said Lewin.
No moles? This does not mean that you are out of the hook. Most melanomas appear as new spots with healthy and clear skin. Cancer can develop anywhere, including eyes, scalp, nails, feet and even inside the mouth.
Face to face with cancer
Melanoma can be one of the most deadly skin cancers. However, if you take it early, it is very treatable.
When diagnosed in the zero stage, the five -year survival rate is more than 99%. But once it spreads to distant organs and parts of the body, such as the lungs or bones, this Nasedative number only 35%, according to the American Cancer Society.
“It was a blessing and a curse that was on my face,” Mills said. “It made it harder to eliminate, and I have a scar, but I think that is why I noticed the changes so quickly and they took it on the zero stage.”
“I think if this site was in a different part of my body, I would not have realized how fast it changed and it could have been a very different result for me,” he added.
In the weeks of diagnosis, Mills underwent Mohs Surgery on Mount Sinai. The highly technical procedure is to remove the skin in the layers, examine them in a microscope until all cancer cells disappear, while preserving as much as possible tissue.
“Melanoma has cells that can be visible in the microscope slides that extend beyond what can be seen in the naked eye,” said Lewin. “If cells are left behind, melanoma can be deepened or extended to ganglia.”
Although the original place was tiny, no larger than the upper part of a passer, when Lewin eliminated cancer, Mills had a wound about a quarter in his face.
“Look at the skin every day. If you think something doesn’t work, no one will judge you to go to the doctor and have looked at it.”
Jacqueline Mills
It took about a year to heal the wound completely and the scar faded. To minimize it, it went to laser treatments and silicone scar cream.
“Now most people can’t even say I have a scar,” Mills said. “The only people they know are the people who knew me at the time, really cure, very well.”
Scan –lo, detect –lo, stop -lo
Now 34 and without cancer, Mills sees the dermatologist twice a year and uses advanced technologies such as the exploration of vectra to control the changes in the skin.
“When you get an annual full body scan, trust your dermatologist to record and remember your moles and stains of the previous year,” he said.
Exploration Vectra WB360, on the contrary, is a 3D full body image system with more than 40 cameras that can document all freckles, grinders and other growths in minutes.
“If you are someone with a skin type that has many stains, this is a really good option because it is an added protection layer,” said Mills.
“You can now have the doctor’s eyes and a computerized exploration of the whole body, which can measure the size and pigment and type of spots you have and compare -from year to year,” he added.
If you have an average risk of skin cancer, make a full -fledged head control over a dermatologist once a year, according to Lewin. But if you have a story, recommend going twice.
But you don’t have to wait for your annual appointment to be at the top of your skin.
“Doctors are an important tool, but you are your first line of defense when it comes to dermatology,” said Mills.
“Look at the skin every day. If you think something doesn’t work, no one will judge you to go to the doctor and have it,” he added.
If you come across a dismissal provider as Mills did, do not go back.
“Hating when it comes to melanoma could be the difference between a simple elimination and obtaining chemotherapy, because it is the speed that moves and mortality,” said Mills.
Lewin echoed his notice.
“Trust your gut: If a skin injury is new or changed and worried, see a dermatologist,” he said. “If you are concerned after seeing a doctor, get a second opinion. Because [Mills] This saved his life. “”
The dark side of the sun kissed
Melanoma constitutes only 1% of all skin cancers, but causes the vast majority of deaths from skin cancer, according to ACS.
By 2025, the group estimates that about 104,960 new melanomas in the United States are diagnosed and that approximately 8,430 north -Americans will die.
While the risk of melanoma increases with age, studies show that rates between young children, adolescents and adults have increased more than 250% in the last four decades.
Reducing UV rays, either the sun or the tanning beds, is a significant risk factor for melanoma. Having many lightweight moles or skin, hair or eyes also increases the possibilities.
Your odds also increase if you have a weakened immune system or a family history of the disease.
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