Doctors, survivors offer potential life-saving advice on melanoma
NASSAU COUNTY -- Health experts are working to raise awareness about melanoma.
Nassau County, on average, sees 33 deaths attributed to the quickly spreading cancer every year.
The UV index is rising and if you're thinking of soaking up the sun's rays, melanoma survivors say there is no such thing as a healthy glow.
"My scariest time of my life was fighting this cancer," survivor Sharon Galvin said.
A police officer when she was diagnosed, Galvin says nothing was more frightening than melanoma that spread to her lungs.
"People would say, well, you only had skin cancer, and I would laugh and say skin cancer is deadly if you don't take care of it," Galvin said.
READ MORE: "Melanoma Monday" emphasizes importance of regular cancer screening, healthy sun habits
She joined Nassau County lawmakers in sharing the message on Melanoma Monday about the fifth most common cancer, but the most common among people 20-39: It's time to break out the highest SPF sunscreen and cover your head outdoors.
UV rays can even do harm on a cloudy day, so get any mole that's asymmetrical, multicolored or changed, checked.
For Donald Gleason, melanoma looked like a red pimple.
"You gotta be aware of this because, if not, it will spread like wildfire, and it will kill you," Gleason said.
It killed Colette Coyne at age 29 because her diagnosis came too late.
"She passed five and a half months after her diagnosis," said her mother, also named Colette Coyne.
Her mother is now spread life-saving awareness. Her foundation offers cancer screenings at beaches.
"We still see people at the beach laying out, really inviting cancer," Coyne said.
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Dermatologists say it's a misconception melanoma can only impact light skin.
"Both Hispanic patients and African-American patients all across the board, that's something that often gets diagnosed late and they have a worse prognosis because of that," Dr. Ted Daly said.
Doctors say even after it's removed, melanoma can come back decades later. That's why prevention is key. Check yourself regularly and see a doctor for a full-body check once a year.
Men over 50 are twice as likely as women to get melanoma.