Melanoma Cancer Support

Question: Can anyone give me the name or web address of a good online cancer support group? My husband was recently diagnosed with malignant melanoma. He wants to talk to others but would prefer to do so online. Thanks to everyone who can help!

Answer: He can join several types of groups that either use a message board, email, or chat line. ACOR: Melanoma ListServ http://www.lsoft.com/scripts/wl.exe?SL1=MELANOMA&H=LISTSERV.ACOR.ORG MPIP: Melanoma Patient Information Page http://www.mpip.org/bb/bbindex.html Yahoo Groups: Melanoma http://groups.yahoo.com/search?query=melanoma Melanoma Support http://www.melanomasupport.org/

Question: Can You help? Anyone in the Apopka area we will be having a Car Wash at Chick-fil-a at Hunt Club on 436 From 10am to 4pm Saturday July 14th To Help raise Money for Jason Sloan who is Battling "THE BEAST" Melanoma Cancer he has been fighting hard and now it's time for us to help him with his fight he is no longer able to work and still needs more treatments. So if you have the time please come out and show your support for Jason and his wife and baby.

Answer: I will be there with my wallet.

Question: Finally finished my speech on melanomas, could someone read over it, and tell me if it's any good? I've done it. can someone read it and tell me if it's any good? i want honest answers. don't mind spelling mistakes, is there anyhting i shuld take out? 1).should i bring in a wide brim hat, sun glasses, a bottle of sunscreen and along sleeve shirt? 2). have a sheet for everyone with pictures of melanomas and the cancer council website and number 3). or have a slide show in the back ground of pictures.. i'm 15, and i'm a girl, if that helps haha :S --- “Slip on a shirt, slop on some sunscreen and slap on a hat� Says Sid the cancer council seagull. Although this slogan is commonly used across our nation every summer, there is not enough education about sun safety through out our schools. Melanoma is a form of skin cancer. The most deadliest and rapid moving cancer of them all. The first sign of melanoma is usually a new spot or an existing mole or freckle that changes in appearance. Some of the changes might be that the spot may grow larger. The edges of the spot may look irregular rather than smooth. The spot may be mottled with a range of colours such as brown, black, blue, red, white or light grey. The spot may be itchy or may bleed. Here is an example of a melanoma...(this is where i'd show a picture of one) It's recommended that you go straight to the doctors when you notice these signs, every few months especially the warmer ones. you should get all your moles and freckles checked just to be on the safe side. People with fair skin are at higher risk of developing melanoma than those with darker skin. but it is no substitute for sunscreen and adequate protective clothing. As our earth is getting hotter and hotter, it should only be common sense that we should be taking further care of our skin. a long sleeve top, A wide brim hat, SPF15+ sunscreen, and protective sunglasses are suitable during the scorching summer temperatures. “Between 11am and 3pm, stay under a tree, the best sunscreen of all is absolutely free.� This statement is not true, because even during the coldest times of the year, you can still get sun burnt. And not only that, UV Rays are not the only thing that causes cancer, Tanning booths and pollution can trigger melanomas. Although there are several causes of cancer, there are also many, many myths about cancer. I’m sure a majority of you have heard that putting your mobile phone down your shirt or under your pillow of a night, causes cancer. Not true, I can assure you of that. Myth number 2). Household bug sprays causes cancer, Sleeping with an underwire bra causes cancer, Photocopying a body part causes cancer, applying sunscreen once a day will keep you safe from UV rays, You can’t get burnt when you’re in the snow. Pay no attention, for not one of these is true. On average; One in 24 males and one in 33 females will develop melanoma of skin by the age of 75. Every year over 9500 new cases of melanoma are diagnosed in Australia and more than 1200 people die. In 2003, melanoma of the skin was the most common cancer in men aged 15 to 19 and 25 to 54 and women aged 15 to 34. A recent sunscreen ad by Neutrogena Sunscreen features a young woman with the caption, 'My sister accidentally killed herself. She died of Skin Cancer'. The message is clear: Those who die of the disease only have themselves to blame. Although melanoma only accounts for 2% of cancer deaths, It is still ultimately important to protect yourself from the harmful UV rays. There are many different cancer fundraisers, for different kinds of cancers. World Cancer Day is marked on February 4th to raise awareness of cancer and to encourage its prevention, detection, and treatment. Jeans for Genes is a major fundraiser of the Children's Medical Research Institute. This includes Jeans for Genes Day, events, exhibitions and other fundraising events throughout the year. Daffodil Day is the largest fundraising event of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere and the day of the year we invite all Australians to unite and lend their support to the fight against cancer. The money raised will help the Cancer Council to fund essential services, education and research programs, making a difference to lives of people with cancer today, and helping to protect lives tomorrow. A lot of people these days who have passed on from cancer, their families request that donations to the cancer council are made in lieu of flowers, so more money can be put in to research. Instead of money being wasted on flowers and dying like their loved ones. Cancer research has come such a long way in the past 2 decades. When you were diagnosed with cancer back then, It was almost like a death sentence. But now with cancer research and treatments, such as radiology and chemotherapy and certain medications, a lot can be cured it’s just when it reaches the vital organs, ie. Liver, lungs, bowel, the survival rate drops dramatically, I recently had a personal experience with melan

Answer: Sounds good good luck

Question: Just a rant that I need to get off of my chest? I have not been able to work for the past two years from dealing with melanoma treatments and surgeries. I am becoming intolerant when people continue to ask me for donations for the Komen breast charity, only because I should understand. Or people asking me to do the breast cancer walk when I was experiencing extreme chronic fatigue. When I stated I couldn't do it, they would act like I was lying. Finally, my question. Do others with a different form of cancer other then breast cancer get tired of placing your form of cancer last just to support breast cancer because it is currently in vogue? I understand people want to help, but please think of the otherside first. Inverse- I understand that the money used for breast cancer research maybe beneficial for other forms of cancer. I do appreciate their efforts. But why do feel they need to target me for contributions?

Answer: I want to apologize because I might be one of those people you're talking about... I participate in the Race for the Cure every year. I try to be very sensitive to whom I send my requests for donations or invitations to participate. It isn't that I forget other cancers exist. I know too well that there are other kinds of cancer. My mother is an ovarian cancer survivor, my dad survived prostate cancer, my grandfather and cousin died of pancreatic cancer and another cousin lung cancer. My sisters and grandmother died of breast cancer. BC awareness month is an incredible opportunity to raise awareness. 1 in 8 women and 1 in 100 men will battle breast cancer. 1 in 35 women will die of the disease. There are other "cancer months" throughout the year but you are right, none receive the level of attention that October does. Perhaps if there were an organization such as Komen for each one, organizing a grassroots effort and raising the voices of survivors and cosurvivors the way Komen has, things would be different. Komen was begun by one woman, 26 years ago. Yes, I am passionate about finding a cure for breast cancer, but I never intend to be offensive about it or to make anyone else battling some other form of cancer feel less important. Each person who has faced what you are is a hero to me and I hope that through the research for breast cancer, progress can be made to treat/cure other cancers as well.

Question: Ask McCain to release his medical records? Friday's debate: Ask McCain to release his medical records Recurrences of malignant melanoma, a savage tumor that can and does reappear after periods of hope-filled absence, are too common and serious to be cloaked for political purposes. - Theodore M. Cole, MD Dear Friends, Colleagues and Supporters, 53,491: People who have signed Brave New Films' open letter calling for a full, public disclosure of McCain's health records. 2,515: Doctors who signed the open letter urging McCain to release his records. 1,173: Pages in McCain's medical records dumped on the media in a publicity stunt last May. 20:. Journalists allowed to review his records for the 2008 election. 3: Hours those journalists were permitted to review them. 0: The number of tape recorders, cell phones, cameras or photocopying machines allowed in the room. How many of you will write in urging PBS' Jim Lehrer to ask McCain about his health records during Friday's debate? Watch the 30 second ad This debate will deal with foreign policy, and McCain's health issues constitute a national security issue, especially when you consider how his secrecy about medical records echoes the Bush administration's legacy of lies. Will McCain's health limit his capacity to make tough decisions regarding diplomacy and military action? We don't know, because McCain is keeping his medical records a tightly held secret, made available to just a handful of journalists for three hours under close supervision. Send a quick e-mail to Jim Lehrer, moderator of Friday's debate, with the subject line: "Ask McCain to Disclose His Health Records in Full." Then, donate to Brave New PAC today so we can get this ad on the air. We have the right to have an open discussion about this grave issue, and now we have the chance to bring transparency and accountability to politics. Yours, Robert Greenwald and everyone at Brave New PAC P.S. For more info and inspiration and what to write in the body of your e-mail to Jim Lehrer, read the testimonies from some of our doctors below. It is standard practice for the people of the United States to be kept informed of the President's state of health. It is even more important that we citizens be made fully aware of the health and health risks of our potential Presidents. John McCain has had more than one melanoma, a particularly lethal cancer. That statement that his cancer is "in remission" does not equate with cure. Melanoma can be undetectable and "in remission" for a dozen years and then recur. - Nancy V. Bruckner, MD It is inconceivable that America would vote on who will be their next president without complete disclosure of every detail of the health care that each candidate has undergone. With one of the candidates having had a very serious form of cancer and being 72 years of age, the American people need to be reassured that their decisions at the poll are being made with all available information. - David R. Meldrum, MD Transparency as far as medical history is concerned is essential for those running for public office. The public deserves that. It is a prerequisite for being in office. - Robert Buxbaum, MD I have to release my medical records to get insurance, to get hospital privileges and for things of far lesser import than seeking the presidency of this country. Unless Mr. McCain has something to hide, he should release his records. If he refuses to release the records, then the assumption must be that he is, indeed, hiding something. - Gerald F. Cambria, MD I am a registered Republican. As a dermatologist with over 20 years of experience, I would have to believe that there is a very significant probability that McCain will die of his melanoma, probably within the next few years. As I understand it, his first episode was in 1992, and he has had a total of 4 melanomas, one of which was deep enough to require a lymph node dissection. My experience has been that patients whose immune system clearly does not fight off melanoma (I've never had any patient who had more than 2 once we began observing them closely with consistent skin checks, as I know McCain gets), and eventually die of their melanoma, especially when it has been on the head or neck. Everything may seem to be fine for 5-10 years, then all of a sudden all the micrometastases reach critical mass, and there are lesions in the brain, bone and lungs - and the person is dead within three months. - Laura E. Skellchock, MD Paid for by the Brave New PAC and not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee. Brave New PAC is supported by members like you, please consider making a donation. To stop receiving the latest videos from us, click here. We are located at 10510 Culver Blvd., Culver City, CA 90232. http://therealmccain.com/doctors/?utm_source=rgemail Send a quick e-mail to Jim Lehrer, http://www.pbs.org/newshour/letters.html

Answer: Yes, good idea.

Question: I worry. And i can't stop? I worry about everything. Mostly dying and getting cancer or kidnapped. I get so scared! Does anyone know why this is? I think that i hear all these stories about getting cancer. Today i learned about melanoma and i am so terrified. I am so scared. Also all of those cancers! I am really healthy but it can happen to anyone. Also I am so scared of someone in my family dying. It has gotten out of hand. Sometimes i cry at night thinking about it. I pray and hope that everything will be okay. School shootings are my biggest fear. Some days i hear yelling in classrooms next door and i get so nervous and scared. During a lockdown one time, i almost cried because i was so scared. I don't get it. I am not depressed, I am normally a happy person but i am very cautious. I hate that i worry so much. I don't know. I am a really happy, pink loving prep and i just worry, worry and worry. Please help! Anyone tell me why i do this? I have a very supporting, loving family. How can i stop? thanks!

Answer: this is tough, and telling you to not worry doesn't help, I know that personally!!! I saw this show where they made this lady say that a plane she might be on was going to crash a bunch of times,... for about 5 minutes... this way she got bored of the idea, and didn't care so much... and she was fine as far as I could tell... it was one of those perfessional help things though on the news, so you might just want to consult a doctor, tell them you are NOT depressed, and just tell them your worries, and ask if there is any thing you can do daily by yourself to knock of this nasty habit. you'll be fine, it's natural to be worryful, and it's good to be cautious sometimes.

Question: Can You Help??????????????? Anyone in the Apopka area we will be having a Car Wash at Chick-fil-a at Hunt Club on 436 From 10am to 4pm Saturday July 14th To Help raise Money for Jason Sloan who is Battling "THE BEAST" Melanoma Cancer he has been fighting hard and now it's time for us to help him with his fight he is no longer able to work and still needs more treatments. So if you have the time please come out and show your support for Jason and his wife and baby. And a speical thank you to all my friends who are helping me pass this on and are coming out. Can't wait to see you much love. ; ) Emmy

Answer: I went to the last one and I am coming again.