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| Vol. 23, No. 10 |
| June 1, 2001 |
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"Mapping" Melanoma By LINDA BARTH The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston Melanoma, the most serious cancer of the skin, has rapidly become one of the most widespread cancers in the Western Hemisphere. In the United States, for instance, the rate of melanoma has more than doubled over the past 20 years, to one case for every 74. Health Leader, a Webzine produced by The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, focuses on melanoma in its latest issue, which may be accessed at http://www.healthleader.uthouston.edu. The article describes what happened to a Houston woman when she was in her late 20s. During a visit to her dermatologist for a routine cosmetic procedure, an innocent-looking mole on her arm proved to be cancerous. "I grew up in the North," said the patient, Lisa Whitehead. "People didn't worry about skin cancer in Chicago. I didn't know anything about it. I thought I was going to die." Whitehead was treated successfully for her melanoma. She now keeps a careful record of any changes in the appearance of moles, looking for changes in shape or size. Any suspicious-looking mark is immediately removed. She also stays out of the sun, and no longer visits tanning salons. Her car windows are tinted, and she wears long-sleeved shirts even during Houston's hottest days. "I have two children I probably wouldn't have if I had waited any longer to go to the dermatologist," Whitehead said. "I am very lucky to be alive." Whitehead is following her doctor's advice on how to minimize chances of developing skin cancer. Staying out of the sun is key - people who have had just one blistering sunburn in their lives are at an increased risk for melanoma. Light-skinned people also face an increased risk. Taking sensible precautions and being aware of what to look for, however, can drastically cut your chances of developing skin cancer. A revolutionary tool plays an invaluable role in detecting melanoma. The MoleMax II, which is only available in Houston at The UT-Houston Medical School, is a digital imaging system that documents suspicious moles and skin lesions. The machine's microscope illuminates the mole, magnifies it 30 times, takes a picture of it, and then maps its position on the patient's body, saving the information on a computer disk. Patients can have this procedure done yearly, which will enable doctors to keep a close eye for signs of melanoma.
©2006 Texas Medical Center E-Mail: tmcinfo@texmedctr.tmc.edu URL: http://www.tmc.edu/tmcnews/06_01_01/page_04.html |