Melanoma Canada
Throughout the month of June, we celebrate #MensHealthMonth! An estimated 70% of chronic health conditions in men are classified as preventable and Canadian men, on average, can expect to live for 4 years fewer than women. This difference in men’s health and life expectancy is seen in every country in the world, and when it comes down to chronic health conditions, it is more influenced by lifestyle factors than biology. Poor lifestyle choices such as delaying routine check-ups and screenings as well as not being informed of potential health risk factors and abstaining from self-care, can all contribute to the onset of these conditions and more severe health consequences. During #MensHealthMonth, we encourage men to take control of their health through promoting healthy and proactive behaviours that prioritize preventive and early detection/intervention. These healthy behaviours include self-skin checks, wearing sunscreen every day, and getting regular check-ups from your physician!
Check out the following stories featured for #MensHealthMonth
Since 85% of melanomas are caused to the sun’s UV rays, healthy practices such as wearing sun protection and covering up are of the utmost importance! Unfortunately, to this day men are less likely to use sun protection than women in addition to other sun safety practices, hence why men under 49 are more likely to develop melanoma than any other cancer.
How to stay sun safe not just for the summer, but all year round:
- Apply SPF 50+ broad spectrum water resistant sun screen at least 30 minutes before sun-exposure and re-apply every 2 hours
- Seek shade during peak UV radiation peak hours (11:00am-3pm)
- Wear sun protective clothing to cover as much of your body as possible
- Wear a broad-brimmed hat that shades your face, neck and ears
60 percent of men don’t regularly see a doctor unless they’re seriously ill and 80% of men refuse to see a physician until they are convinced by their spouse or partner to do so. Unlike most cancers, melanomas are often visible on the surface of the skin so individuals are able to perform monthly skin-check evaluations for suspicious skin concerns using the ABCDE’s. Melanoma is treatable, in fact when spotted early, melanoma has a cure rate of 85%. However, men continue to self-check less than half of melanomas and melanomas detected by women have a significantly better prognosis as they were detected at a much earlier stage. Reluctance to see a physician after detecting a suspicious skin lesion or mole also contributes to later diagnoses in men which increases the odds of severe outcomes from what should otherwise be a curable disease. In the year 2020 alone, 450 women and 790 men died from melanoma. To reduce these high mortality rates, we must promote health practices such as checking your skin monthly and notifying your health care provider immediately if you notice one or more of the ABCDEs.
Check out Jason’s story below on the importance of early-detection and how this can save lives!
During #MensHealthMonth, we invite you to join us in promoting ways men and boys can improve their health going forward. This can include talking to your healthcare provider about going for regular check-ups, being informed of potential health risks and safety precautions, and signing up for monthly check your skin reminders. Until self-management and self-care for early detection in men is made a priority, higher rates of significant mortality and morbidity from melanoma in men will result. Join us in raising awareness for these health issues facing men and prioritizing immediate action when it comes to your health! Share the hashtag #checkyourskin and #MensHealthMonth to encourage men and boys to invest in their health through practicing effective ways to be sunsafe and checking for skin cancer early when it’s most treatable!
Are you sun safe? Do you check your skin regularly?
Take our #MensHealthMonth survey below to see how you can take a more active role in your health starting today!
Jason’s Melanoma Journey
In late August, 2011, I had just returned from a camping trip with my young family. My son, Jacob, got a rash all over his arm during our trip and I was starting to feel a little itchy myself, which prompted a brief self-examination before my much-anticipated first shower back at home. My wife looked at me a bit funny at first when I asked “Maria…did you, Olivia, or Jake draw on my butt with a black magic marker during our camping trip?” Not that was ever a possibility, but it really looked like someone dabbed my backside (sorry, I didn’t pick the location) with one of those rectangle-tipped black magic markers. You know…the ones we sniffed in grade school.
I normally dismiss Maria when she says “you should talk to your doctor about that”, but this time I humoured her. My doctor wasn’t overly concerned, but nonetheless made arrangements to have the small, smooth, and slightly asymmetrical mole excised, to err on the side of caution. A few weeks later, just after Jake’s first birthday, I was introduced to my new favourite Latin term: in situ, which means “in its original place”. The mole was a small melanoma in situ (stage 0 melanoma), meaning the cancer had not spread beyond the epidermis, and that the biopsy was all the treatment I would need. It took a while before I could finally exhale. I was consumed for some time with paranoia, fearful that the biopsy didn’t get all of the cancer and that I would be taken away from my wife and kids way too early. I couldn’t shake the thought of not walking Olivia down the aisle, of not being there to offer fatherly advice whenever she and Jake needed me, and of not growing old as planned with Maria. I obsessively Googled search terms like “melanoma in situ recurrence” and “melanoma survival rates” for several months before I finally began to appreciate that I had dodged a (very horrible) bullet.
Once my little pity party came to an end, I came to the realization that I not only had new responsibilities (e.g., regular self-examination and dermatologist appointments, protecting myself – and more importantly the kids – from the sun, and instilling them with sun-smart habits), but I was also presented with an excellent opportunity to help raise awareness of skin cancer and its prevention. After all, I was very fortunate that I detected my mole early (purely by happenstance), and as such I had the kind of time and energy that others who weren’t so fortunate likely did not.
My timing was pretty good when I contacted the Melanoma Network of Canada to express an interest in volunteering, despite not really ever having volunteered before. As it happens, Melanoma Canada was planning Strides for Melanoma awareness walk in Mississauga, and a few volunteers had expressed interest in organizing a similar walk in Ottawa. I am very fortunate to have met and worked with Laura Davidson and Lisa Craig, who have, regrettably, been way more impacted than I by the ugliness that is melanoma. We had hoped to raise $5,000 in the first small Ottawa walk, but were over the moon when we more than doubled our target. I cannot tell you how much we are looking forward to building on our accomplishments from last year, and making this year’s Strides for Melanoma a huge success!
