Here’s a real story on why checking your skin is so important

Nikki Sommer, a nurse with Key West Surgical Group, had her own recent experience with melanoma.

She joined Good Morning Keys on KeysTalk 96.9/102.5 FM for Medical Matters yesterday morning.

This week is Nurse Appreciation Week, so make sure to thank a nurse.

Mike Stapleford from KeysTalk 96.9/102.5FM noted, “My daughter is an RN in COVID ICU up in Erie. I admire her will, her skill, her tenacity. That is a high burnout area. She was trauma ER before.”

Sommer said, “I was ICU. Just without a pandemic it’s very straining and draining and emotional. Thank you to all the nurses out there. Sending love and hugs.”

Melanoma Awareness Month is also upon us.

Sommer had a colonoscopy and everything came up clean.

She said, “My colon was clean, but my skin was not.”

A spot was found on her back.

Sommer said, “It was not in an area that I can see. A few weeks ago at the air show, we were on our boat and a friend of mine said have you ever had these two spots on your back looked at? I said well one has been there for a while. He said what about the one on top of it?”

So her husband took a look and said it looked a little darker.

Sommer said, “So sure enough a couple of weeks ago I asked Dr. Larrauri to take them off and the one that I thought was a concern was nothing and the one above it, it was tiny, I was very lucky. I got the results back yesterday. It’s melanoma. It didn’t go anywhere else, so we caught it in time, but it was not a big spot.”

So even small changes in the skin need to be watched carefully.

Sommer said, “When I was younger I was maybe not as careful as I am here. I always put sunscreen on if we’re out at the beach, at a pool, on our boat, if I know I’m going to be out for an extended amount of time. I do have family history. My dad had squamous cell. So I kind of have his skin. He’s not as fair as me anymore because he used to bake in the sun with oil, but he does have a lot of freckles and moles like I do. So I definitely tend toward his side.”

The sun can be incredibly intense in the Florida Keys.

Sommer added, “And our daylight is longer down here and when it gets hot we want to wear less clothing like tank tops and shorts and you really don’t cover as much. So make sure you wear sunglasses. Make sure you wear a hat. Put your sunscreen on and get checked. This was kind of a surprise. I didn’t even know it was there.”

Basal cell and squamous cell are usually the most common types of skin cancer. Basal cell is benign and usually does not spread anywhere. Squamous cell can spread.

Melanoma is the more aggressive skin cancer and can definitely spread into the lymph system and other parts of the body.

Sommer said, “That’s why it’s important to look at those moles, if they change color, if they change shape. Dr. Larrauri made a point, he said if it looks like a map, meaning it doesn’t have regular borders, that’s a concern that you need to have somebody look at.” 

It will be sent off and results will be provided right away at Key West Surgical Group. 

More than 97,000 Americans will be diagnosed with melanoma and 7,990 people will die of that disease in 2023, so it’s important to keep an eye on your skin. 

Melanoma is most common in men, but women are also susceptible. Fair skinned folks are also susceptible. 

Sommer said, “You need to get checked regularly. There’s no reason you shouldn’t. Ask a friend if you are in a bathing suit, look at my back and just make sure there’s nothing there that looks suspicious because I probably wouldn’t have jumped on it right away if it wasn’t brought to my attention.” 

It can also occur in mucous membranes, the lips or even in the eyes. 

Sommer said, “So that’s why it’s good to wear sunglasses and chapstick.” 

In the Keys, just walking around can put a person in the sun. 

Sommer said, “You can think you’re running a five-minute errand and end up in the sun all day.” 

Immunotherapy can be used after surgery as it relates to skin cancer.

Sommer said, “It actually is targeted at different cancers. They’re recommending it if it’s a more aggressive stage. It’s a tumor at that point. They’re doing a lot of research to help because the drug can help kill or inhibit cancer cells throughout the body.”

Melanoma comes in different stages.

It begins at stage 0, which means it’s just in the epidermis of the skin.

Sommer said, “That’s what I had because it was really tiny and that means it didn’t go deeper into the tissue and become a tumor. It’s just right on the top.”

Stage 1 is a localized tumor where it’s big enough to be considered a tumor, but has not spread anywhere. Stage 2 is a bigger size of the tumor and could be ulcerated or not ulcerated.

Stage 3 means it has spread and stage 4 means it has metastasized beyond the regional lymph nodes.

Sommer said, “Melanoma can spread to your brain. So it’s really important to have your skin checked. You can’t avoid being in the sun and you can’t not have a quality of life either. So you just need to be a little bit more aware of what’s going on with your skin.”

The age for mammograms has been shifted down — they’re recommended after age 40.

Sommer said, “I think because we’re living longer is part of the reason, but also there’s been more diagnosis of cancer, but it also could mean more people are being proactive and getting it done. There is an increase in breast cancer cases over the age of 40.”

For more information on Key West Surgical Group, click here: https://www.keywestsurgicalgroup.com/