By Kevin Cazares
Hollywood celebrity Hugh Jackman, social media influencer Khloe Kardashian, and high-ranking CNN journalist Anderson Cooper all share a common experience.
All have had the spotlight in front of the cameras, sure. But they also all have gone through the process of recovering from skin cancer.
The three celebrities have openly shared their progress through their social media platforms, and each of them advocates for regular skin checkups by dermatologists. Skin cancer is rapidly increasing in numbers.
According to skincancer.org, more people are diagnosed with skin cancer every year than any other cancer. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that in 2015, 80,442 cases of skin cancer were reported in the U.S. and 8,885 people died because of skin cancer.
In Arizona, 20 in every 100,000 people were diagnosed with skin cancer in 2015.
All have had the spotlight in front of the cameras, sure. But they also all have gone through the process of recovering from skin cancer.
The three celebrities have openly shared their progress through their social media platforms, and each of them advocates for regular skin checkups by dermatologists. Skin cancer is rapidly increasing in numbers.
According to skincancer.org, more people are diagnosed with skin cancer every year than any other cancer. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that in 2015, 80,442 cases of skin cancer were reported in the U.S. and 8,885 people died because of skin cancer.
In Arizona, 20 in every 100,000 people were diagnosed with skin cancer in 2015.
An Expert
In an interview Dr. Baldassarre Stea, with the Department of Radiation Oncology at Banner UMC, said, “Basal skin cancer is the most common form of cancer, but is the least painful and least noticeable.”
He also said that there is another form of skin cancer called melanoma, which is considered to be the most dangerous form of skin cancer.
Stea said the older a person gets, the more likely they are to develop skin cancer.
“Body tolerance is dependent to your age and how healthy you are,” he said.
“The more tolerance your body has, the more your body can fight back against the infection reaching the brain; and, the less tolerance your body has the faster and painful the infection can reach the brain.”
Stea said the sun is not the only culprit. He warned against the dangers of tanning beds, saying they are far worse than outdoor tanning.
“Tanning beds should have many warnings to let people know that they will for sure get skin cancer the more times they go and get a tan. Tanning beds are like cigarettes. The more and more you smoke your chances for lung cancer will go up,” he explained.
He also said that there is another form of skin cancer called melanoma, which is considered to be the most dangerous form of skin cancer.
Stea said the older a person gets, the more likely they are to develop skin cancer.
“Body tolerance is dependent to your age and how healthy you are,” he said.
“The more tolerance your body has, the more your body can fight back against the infection reaching the brain; and, the less tolerance your body has the faster and painful the infection can reach the brain.”
Stea said the sun is not the only culprit. He warned against the dangers of tanning beds, saying they are far worse than outdoor tanning.
“Tanning beds should have many warnings to let people know that they will for sure get skin cancer the more times they go and get a tan. Tanning beds are like cigarettes. The more and more you smoke your chances for lung cancer will go up,” he explained.
A SurvivorOne skin cancer survivor said he faces struggles every day and has daily routines to comply with after having contracted cancer and to reduce his chances of future cancers. The survivor, a 48-year-old man who lives in Tucson, said he was able to spot his cancer at an early stage. After treatment, he has to take special precautions now. “I have to wear jackets, long sleeves, pants, and sunglasses to protect my skin and be out in the sun,” he said. He was first diagnosed in 2014, and his recovery process took him two to three years of using multiple types of lotions and creams. To prevent further spread of the illness, he had treatments to excise cells on his hands and his face. The process includes a surgical knife cutting layer through layer until the tumor was removed, then the wounds were slowly stitched up. | Kevin Cazares |
He has multiple scars left from his surgeries and still occasionally puts on lotion.
During the time the man was recovering he missed out on many moments, parties, outdoor activities and small get-togethers.
How do I know so much about this man’s condition? It’s because the man who survived skin cancer is my father, Hernan Cazares.
During the time the man was recovering he missed out on many moments, parties, outdoor activities and small get-togethers.
How do I know so much about this man’s condition? It’s because the man who survived skin cancer is my father, Hernan Cazares.
Finding a Cure
Many doctors around the globe are trying to find treatments to skin cancer other than surgery. The types of medicines that have been tested and proven to work are called immunotherapy and interferon drugs, used to treat squamous cells.
Another useful treatment is the topical imiquimod, a cream used to help deplete basal cells carcinomas.
Prevention is key, though.
MD Anderson Center, at the University of Texas, reports that though skin cancer is the most common cancer in the U.S., it also is the most preventable.
Avoiding UV rays from sun exposure and tanning beds is the best prevention. Plus, early detection in critical.
Experts and survivors often are active speaking about different ways to avoid getting skin cancer. Many celebrities who have had the illness have been openly speaking and supporting charities and fundraisers to help find other cures to skin cancer.
Another useful treatment is the topical imiquimod, a cream used to help deplete basal cells carcinomas.
Prevention is key, though.
MD Anderson Center, at the University of Texas, reports that though skin cancer is the most common cancer in the U.S., it also is the most preventable.
Avoiding UV rays from sun exposure and tanning beds is the best prevention. Plus, early detection in critical.
Experts and survivors often are active speaking about different ways to avoid getting skin cancer. Many celebrities who have had the illness have been openly speaking and supporting charities and fundraisers to help find other cures to skin cancer.