Yesterday, I took my family to the Toledo Zoo to meet up with some good friends from Austintown, Oh.  I moved from there a couple of years ago and do not get back to visit enough.  

   The Toledo Zoo was, by far, the grandest zoo I have ever experienced.  It was gorgeous to look at, pleasant to walk through, and just an all around nice place to spend a summer day.  

   They had giraffes, a really up-close and personal hippoquarium and arctic encounter , elephants, vultures, all the necessary primates and amphibians, cheetahs, an African savanna, and a museum of science.  

   It was a beautiful day, about 80 degrees and mostly sunny.  As a matter of fact, I do not remember seeing even one cloud in the sky.  

   I especially appreciated the availability of shade, provided by many glorious indoor viewing stations and plentiful trees.  We all wore our sunscreen, hats, and I carried my umbrella for "traveling shade." 

    As you may know, I was diagnosed with life-threatening melanoma a couple of years ago.  I underwent corrective surgery and visit my dermatologist regularly for skin examinations.  I have had several suspicious "spots" removed, in which some of them have turned out to be pre-cancerous.  

   According to the American Cancer Society, skin cancer is the most common form of cancer suffered by people and it accounts for more than half of all malignancies.  They expect over 62,000 new cases of melanoma to be diagnosed this year, with almost 8,000 deaths from the cancer.  Overall, the mortality rate has increased by 50% since 1970.

   New research could help to treat and even, perhaps, prevent melanoma.  In a recent study published in the New England Journal of Medicine researchers identified at least several distinct types of melanoma, each potentially responding to its own individual treatment.   Various melanomas appear on different parts of the body: chronically sun-damaged skin, skin without sun damage, skin rarely exposed to sun, and mucous membranes.  This will enable doctors a gene-specific break up of the disease for different treatment options.

   Those who spend a lot of time in the sun or tanning booths and have fair skin are at greatest risk.  Family history plays a significant role, and people with freckles or moles are at a greater risk and should inspect these to keep track of any changes in them.  Also, note any other changes in your skin such as odd sores, lumps, blemishes or markings.  Any changes should be reported to your dermatologist right away.

   Melanoma is not a disease exclusively of Caucasians.  Dr. Robert Kirsner, lead researcher, professor, and vice chairman of dermatology and cutaneous surgery at the University of Miami Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center states that "We found that patients who were black and Hispanic were diagnosed later for melanoma than white patients in Miami-Dade County, Florida."  Compared with whites, the Hispanic and black patients in his recent study were more likely to have advanced-stage melanomas.  Kirsner is not sure why that is, but he speculates that they may have a more aggressive type of melanoma.  "More likely, there is less awareness among patients and health-care providers that melanoma can occur in ethnic populations and patients with darker pigmentation," Kirsner said.  As a consequence, these patients aren't screened as often and lesions are not detected as early as in the white population.

   This is a public health issue and greater awareness is needed both by doctors and patients.

   Some things to look for when checking your skin for cancer are changes in shape, color, or texture of a mole or patch of skin.  Satellite moles (new moles that appear next to an old one), oozing, bleeding, or ulcerated skin, or asymmetrical and irregular borders in moles.

   If any concerns arise of an area of skin on you or a loved one, please see a doctor immediately.  

   My mole that was of concern happened to be only the size of a pinhead.  It was a perfect circle and had not changed in shape or size.  Yet, it was black.  It appeared as if someone had taken a fine tip black "Sharpie" and put a dot on my leg.  It did not look very suspicious, but I did not want to take any chances, so I headed to the dermatologist right away.

   My biopsy report said that it was in stage one and had not spread to the lymph nodes or any other parts of my body.  This is completely curable with surgery.  Other stages of development increase one's risk of the cancer spreading throughout the body.  

   The skin is the largest organ of the body.  It protects against heat, sunlight, injury, and infection.  A couple of obvious ways to protect our skin from sun damage are by staying out of the sun, especially between 10 - 3pm and applying, and reapplying, a high quality sunscreen of at least SPF 15.  

   Remember though, sunscreen may help prevent skin cancer, but it is not without fault.  Some studies show that high sunscreen use leads to overindulgence in sun exposure and an increased cancer risk, whether or not you burn.  

   If you must be in bright sun , keep your skin covered.   Wear clothing to cover all areas of your body including arms, legs, trunck, head and neck, legs, and feet.  

  In the meantime, I will keep searching for a pretty  parasol.  My old black umbrella's just gotta' go!