Jul 04, 2008 - 04:05:59 CDT
The exposure to potentially cancer-causing ultraviolet rays this holiday is very high, according to the National Weather Service.And that's something local melanoma survivor Pam Emmil wants to warn sun-seekers about.
The UV factor for Bismarck will hit 9 out of 10 on July 4 and possibly into July 5, with temperatures predicted to get into the mid-90s and little to no cloud cover.
UV rays wreak havoc on the skin, though, as Emmil is well aware of. Just last fall, she received the dreaded phone call from her doctor telling her that a dark mole on her thigh was indeed melanoma, a form of skin cancer that can quickly turn fatal if left untreated.
Emmil was a tanning bed baby, having started up tanning again last October after a full summer out on the river and soaking up the sun. But she noticed a mole on her thigh that continued to darken, and finally approached Dr. Eric Thompson, a general practitioner at Medcenter One, with her concerns.
Alittle more than a month later, she was looking at a deep chunk of tissue a dermatologist removed from her thigh; the melanoma had reached into her muscle tissue. It took three layers of stitches to close up the procedure.
Now her tanning tune has changed from rubbing on the baby oil before going out in the sun to slathering on the SPF30 sunscreen to keep all dangerous UVrays at bay. She's taking her story to the streets, talking to her girlfriends, friends and family about the warning signs of the cancer.
"People need to be aware of the signs and checking for moles,"she said. Look for irregularities, changes in size and color.
Her general practitioner agreed.
"Melanoma is typically worrisome because they do spread fast and they tend to get into the deeper tissues of the skin,"he said. "Then they spread via the blood to other tissues in the body. They can become pretty fatal cancer in a hurry."
Thompson said people should avoid high-exposure sun times, peak hours between about 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Even on days with high cloud cover, 80 percent of the sun's rays can get through.
People with light skin types, who can't tan without burning, are going to be at risk, too. But he also warned that no one is truly not at risk for harmful sun exposure.
"You need to have a good annual surveillance to check for suspicious moles,"he said, adding that all doctors are trained to at least screen for abnormal moles. Most can remove the mole right in the office and get it tested. And always wear at least SPF 15 sunscreen.
Emmil lubes up her two fair-skinned, blonde girls constantly when they're out, puts hats on their sensitive heads and staking up umbrellas when they all go out on the sandbars. She wears nothing lighter than SPF 30.
The history of melanoma doesn't mean she no longer enjoys the summer, she said, but on days like today, she, her family, her friends and everyone around her will know to definitely come prepared.
(Reach reporter Crystal R. Reid at 250-8261 or at crystal.reid@bismarcktribune.com.)
JAC wrote on Jul 7, 2008 9:11 AM:
LJK wrote on Jul 4, 2008 6:06 PM:
clubby wrote on Jul 4, 2008 10:16 AM:
Her blond hair and fair skin would lead anyone to believe "over exposung" in the sun, as she indicated, would not be advisable.
If the sunscreen Pam is using contains oxybenzone, it has been reported by the CDC THAT chemical will cause cell damage in humans. Read the report at;
http://www.ewg.org/node/26212 "
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