Healthline (Continued from page 10)


to spectators at the annual Sebring Christmas Parade.


Joliet, IL, Lodge made a $1,000 donation to the Will County Juvenile Drug Court Program.


Cedar Rapids, IA, Lodge members distributed drug awareness coloring books and bookmarks to 2,400 third- grade students as part of a dictionary distribution project.


Frankfort, KY, Lodge members distributed drug awareness book- marks to nearly 600 third-grade students as part of a dictionary distribution project.


Faribault, MN, Lodge members and Antlers Program members gave drug awareness coloring books, pencils, and other items to 70 children at the lodge’s Children’s Community Christ- mas Party. The lodge was assisted at the event by Santa.


Tucumcari, NM, Lodge members distributed drug awareness coloring books and bookmarks to nearly 220 third-grade students as part of a dictionary distribution project.


Lawrenceburg, TN, Lodge members distributed drug awareness book- marks to more than 500 third-grade students as part of a dictionary distribution project.


Grapevine, TX, Lodge donated $500 to Grapevine High School’s Project Graduation, which provides a drug- and alcohol-free graduation night party for the school’s seniors.


Newport, VT, Lodge members distrib- uted drug awareness bookmarks to 300 third-grade students as part of a dictionary distribution project. ■


T H E E L K S M A G A Z I N E


basal cell cancers, squamous cell cancers, particularly those on the lip, can penetrate deeper layers of skin and travel to other parts of the body by way of the lymphatic system, though this spread is uncommon. If many precancerous lesions are present, treatment with chemothera- peutic creams can help prevent cancer from developing.


Like basal cell and squamous cell cancers, melanocyte cancers, which are known as melanomas and look much like moles, more commonly occur in fair-skinned people and are also related to sun exposure. It is no coincidence that the highest rates of melanoma in the world are in Austra- lia and South Africa, two highly sunny areas colonized by fair-skinned people who are genetically better suited to the gray, sun-deprived skies of northern climates.


Melanomas must be distinguished from normal moles, which develop in virtually all people. The average adult has twenty-five moles with varying degrees of pigmentation. Many “rules” exist for helping physicians decide whether a mole might be cancerous. For example, moles that are asym- metrical in shape and color, have irregular margins, and are larger than a pencil eraser are often considered suspect. However, none of these “rules” is a reliable way to tell if a mole is cancerous. More reliable suspicions are generally based on observations concerning mole develop- ment. The development of a new mole, particularly on the back or the legs, that grows over a number of years is definitely something that should be discussed with a physician.


A full 70 percent of melanomas are what are termed superficial spreading melanomas and are curable if they are caught when they are less than 1mm thick. Another 7 to 10 percent of melanomas, those that are deep blue- black or purple nodules, tend to spread more readily to other parts of the body. Rarer yet are melanomas in odd locations like the eye, under a nail, on the palm of the hand, or on the sole of the foot. These, too, are more dangerous.


Treatment


Like treatment for basal cell and squamous cell cancers, the treatment for a melanoma is removal. There are a variety of different ways to remove skin cancers, ranging from scraping and cauterizing to a surgical excision with microscopic monitoring to find the edges of the tumor. Cure rates are high—in the 98 percent range, particularly when the tumors are small. If a tumor does spread to nearby tissues, it can still be cured, though with more surgical scarring. Metastatic melanomas do not respond well to conventional cancer treatments as a rule but may react differently to newly developing targeted immuno- logical treatments.


In contrast to the confusion sur- rounding screening tests for some other types of cancer, clarity is the mark of medical advice about skin cancer. It helps if you know what to look for and seek a medical opinion about any suspicious skin spots. Most often, doctors will recommend a biopsy of a suspicious lesion as the surest way to make a diagnosis, and patients can expect that removal will be part of the cure for any cancers that are found. You won’t ever regain the skin of a newborn, but you do not need to have skin cancer. ■


Ready. Set. Escargot! 69


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