Doctor Offers Free Melanoma Screenings
By Annie Getsinger, Herald & Review, Decatur, Ill.
Jun. 14–DECATUR — Men of all ages and some women filed into the waiting and exam rooms of plastic surgeon Dr. Emmanuella Joseph on Friday afternoon.
They were there to be checked for melanoma, a deadly skin cancer that’s on the rise. Joseph tries to open her office several times a year for these free screenings, with Friday’s held in honor of Father’s Day.
Patients filled out a consent form, and then Joseph checked them from head to toe for any suspicious moles or marks. At her last screening, Joseph discovered two melanoma cases.
“I think there’s some people that just think they look more beautiful when they’re tan,” Joseph said. “– They don’t realize the risks that they’re putting themselves in for cancer and the damage.”
Melanoma can affect people of all races and ages, Joseph said, even those in their teens and 20s. It can occur between people’s toes, on their palms and even on the scalp, but it is most common on men’s backs and trunks and women’s legs.
There is no cure or effective chemotherapy or radiation for melanoma, Joseph said. It must be caught early and removed.
New moles or pre-existing moles that change size or color, bleed, start to itch or don’t heal are cause for concern, Joseph said. People should look for changes monthly and get suspicious moles checked by a physician.
Light-colored clothing that reflects the sun and sun block are crucial layers of protection against melanoma, she said.
Vik Rigdon, 55, a regular patient of Joseph’s, attended the screening after interviewing for a job in the office.
“I love the sun,” Rigdon said, adding that she spends 10 to 15 hours tanning each week and doesn’t use sunscreen. During the winter, Rigdon spends time in a tanning bed to hold onto the summer’s glow.
She has had eight skin cancers removed, but to date none of them have been melanoma.
“It’s changed my mind completely about sunning after seeing the work on it here,” she said, holding up a scan of her face showing spots of sun damage, wrinkles, brown patches and UV spots. She planned to take better care of her skin and start wearing sunscreen after Friday’s examination.
“You always think, ‘that’s going to happen to somebody else, that’s not going to be me,’” she said.
And melanoma did happen to somebody else — somebody close to Rigdon. Her ex-brother-in-law, Joe Dollins, died from it 27 years ago, she said.
“I did his hair all the time, and he told me just to check that mole on his head,” Rigdon said. “And I told him it didn’t look right and that he probably should see a doctor, and when he finally did go to a doctor, it was too late.”
Annie Getsinger can be reached at agetsinger@herald-review.com or 421-6968.
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