The Doctor is in …
July 23, 2012 at 12:55 pm Dr. Katie Rodan 2 comments
By Dr. Katie Rodan
Last week, a patient came to see me, worried about a new mole she discovered on the bottom of her foot. After a careful examination, including a biopsy, I was able to give her good news that the mole was benign and not the cancerous melanoma she feared it was. Nonetheless, she was wise to check it out. Skin cancers on the feet, particularly on the soles, between the toes and under the nails often go undetected until it is too late. And there is no reason for this because skin cancer, especially the potentially deadly melanoma, is treatable, if discovered early. Therefore, getting to know what your moles look like and being aware of any change or new growth can be life-saving.
Although the bottoms of your feet are one of the last places most people think to look for moles, try making it the first place you check. As I tell my patients, “start with your toes, work your way up to your nose,” checking every square inch of your skin including your scalp. People assume that because the soles of their feet are not sun-exposed, melanoma is unlikely to form there. It is true that the most common forms of skin cancer –basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma– have a direct relationship to sun exposure. However, melanoma is different. It is commonly found in the sun protected areas of the skin, i.e. the buttocks, feet, scalp and back. The reasons are unknown but are correlated with a history of severe sunburn as a child or teenager. It is believed that intense sun exposure during a critical time in the development of a person’s immune system may predispose one to this increased risk.
Here’s a tip: While you are having your daily stretch, get up close and personal with your feet. Sit with your heels together and lift up each foot as you check for moles or dark spots … especially those of you with a darker skin type which can make moles harder to spot. Remember, you’re looking for the ABCDEs of melanoma—any spots that are asymmetrical, have an irregular border, are variable in color, have a diameter larger than the size of a pencil eraser, or evolve/change over time. If you see anything suspicious, make an appointment with your dermatologist. The life you save may be your own … or the dermatologist may give you the great news that all of your moles are benign, as I did with my patient.
Entry filed under: The Doctor is In. Tags: melanoma.
Derm RF
Dr. Kathy Fields
Dr. Katie Rodan
Mary Radford, RN
1.
Susan Parko | July 24, 2012 at 8:05 am
Thank you Dr. Rodan. My mother died Christmas Day of 2007 from undetected malignant melanoma – under the nail bed of the big toe on her right foot. Even though she had been having the toe medically treated for three years –not one of the various doctors she saw thought to test for melanoma –it was only after an orthopedic surgeon told her the only way she was going to get rid of the bothersome pain – would be to amputate at the first knuckle. She had that proceedure done the first part of December of 2006 and the surgeon took the initiative to send the toe to the lab where it was finally detected as malignant melanoma and was already at stage 3. The story goes on – but, at the end of the day – she passed away one year later. You are right – and had the cancer been detected three years earlier – she may still be alive. My mother was never a sun worshipper either – not as a child or adult. She remembers one sunburn – as a teenager -on a cloudy day! I applaud you and Dr. Field for your always bold statement to use sunscreen and the signs to check the ABCDEs of melanoma. Susan Parko – Rodan + Fields Dermatologists Consultant
2.
Erin Bobbitt de Padilla | July 23, 2012 at 1:40 pm
Thank you for posting this. My aunt died from precisely the same thing – an unchecked mole on the bottom of her foot. It turned out to be melanoma and it changed our family’s lives forever. Please, everybody – heed what Dr. Rodan is saying and get yourself checked head to toe on a regular basis. If not for yourself, then for the people who love you.