What started out as a cold sore almost a year ago has grown into something much worse on Kalman Szel’s lip.
“I never thought a cold sore would become cancer,” said Kalman Szel, a Skin Cancer patient.
He has since been diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma which is one of the most common forms of skin cancer and will have to have it removed. This is the second time that Szel has had a run-in with skin cancer, he had it on his nose as well.
“The roughness on my nose started off as sun damage. I never thought it was cancer, or the possibility of cancer,” said Szel.
May is Skin Cancer Awareness Month and Dr. Ben Wiese in Kelowna is warning that more and more people are having a similar experience to Szel.
“The concerning part is that it seems skin cancer is on the rise and more and more people are struggling with it,” said Dr. Wiese, a primary care skin cancer physician.
The most important message is that skin cancer is preventable and everyone has a different susceptibility to the disease. If you have fair skin, are in the sun regularly or have a family history you have to be vigilant with proper sun coverage.
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Wearing a hat, long sleeves or pants will help keep you protected from the sun. So will wearing the right amount of sunscreen.
Dr. Wiese says it also depends on how many moles you have. If you have more than 50 you are at a higher risk. Melanoma is one type of skin cancer and is the most common type diagnosed In people 15 to 29 years of age. In North America, one person dies of melanoma every hour.
If you have a concern be sure to consult a physician as soon as possible. For more information about Melanoma and Skin Cancer visit www.melanomanetwork.ca or www.saveyourskin.ca
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