I'll second that Chronic.

After spending my childhood smothered in cooking oil and believing that if I hadn't "peeled" at least two or three times during school holidays I hadn't had a good time, I now have very frequent visits to the clinic for a "chop session"

Like you, I now always wear a wettie, sunnies and a helmet. Gets plenty of giggles but hey - life is good. Sure beats the alternative !!!!

Fitzy - Gold Coast OZ

Yep, Couldn't agree more Chronic. I had another Basal Cell Carcinoma (BCC) removed from the corner of my eye before the start of summer and I am due to go again for another checkup.

I hope it all works out OK for you. Go get checked people.

Good winds,

Skwinty said...

That Sux! Ive been meaning to do tha for ages! Might have to pull my finger out and get it done. Hope it all ends up all clear for you guys. Ive even heard of a guy who got melanoma on the sole of his foot! how the hell does that work!

Was he a surfer? Think about it.

great post chronic ...have been putting off getting a lump on the scone checked, just made appointment for this avo. Thanks for the prompt.

Hurry up and get better we have some serious kiting to do down the coast over the Christmas break.

Green Island here we come, and if your not wearing your steamer Im going to kick your ass.

got the results of my second biopsy today ......negative !!!

a full on relief to myself and to my wife who has been "off chops" since the first op some three weeks ago.

Echo - the mole i had WAS itchy - best you go and get a second check up as it sounds like you may be shouting me a case or two! i'll be in Perth in Feb so i'm happy to come and pick it up i do hope that this is not the case.

to all of you reading this do yourself a favour and RING- 1300 136 600 Australia wide and get a free check up. keep it to yourself so as not to worry loved ones as its harder for them than yourself,as i have now learnt.

to the guys that promised themselves a check up i hope it went well and haven't had themselves carved up

danza and darkside...when is the green island to ulla downwinder happening give us a few weeks won't you

since no one has sent me a case yet i went and bought my own

Only the good die young
Great news for all your loved ones
Got a 25km down windder in Wa if your up for it.

It is also important to realise that a small percentage of melanomas occur on non sun exposed skin. They can occur underneath nails, between toes and other hidden places.

It is rare but it does happen.

Hi, Loud

Identifying and treating skin cancer , esp melanoma, requires extra training.

The training skin clinic Dr's have is variable, and less extensive, whereas dermatologists have a formalised training which is checked through examinations.

Skin cancer can be dealth with by either, but I prefer to trust the training that the dermo's have done. Skin clinics do provide an excellent immediate service in most cases though. (often dermo's can take months to see)

"skin clinics are ok " reflects the variability in diagnosis and treatment that is possible from the skin cancer clinics.

I work as a Dr on the Gold Coast, and my advice is based on first hand experience.

Hey All - Love the direction this post has gone - I have BCC's removed regularly - I love being a fair skinned person...

One thing I have noticed in the short time I have is that no-one uses shades on the beach - and heaps of us are still in short sleeves.

It doesn't take that much to throw up a shade - the shade hut doesn't even have poles - the Sun Shade I just got from Ray's Outdoor just opens when you frisbee it to the sand... you have to learn how to put it back into the bag though - I broke mine first time around - luckily they swapped it out for me...

Also there are heaps of long sleeved 50+ shirts that are not too hot to wear and look cool.... Rip Curl, Quicksilver, etc.....

Believe me $150 worth of shade and a long sleeved salt proof shirt is a small price to pay for avoiding the knife....

Hi puppet,
called an optometrist friend for the question about the sunnies, and the apparently it only matters for eye cancer, cataract, macular degeneration if there is 100% uv block (=australian standard) Polarizing reduces glare, but doesn't improve prevention of the nasties. It does reduce pterygium incidence though (benign fleshy growths on the white sclera)

for the sunscreen you do get more protection from the addition of the titanium- it provides a reflective as well as absorptive barrier. microfine titanium is in sunsense (=skin doesn't appear white after application), and larger titanium molecules in hamilton's quadblock (skin appears white after application.)-sorry don't know if there is extra benefit from micro or macro titanium- will try to find out though.

Anecdotally i have seen enough skin clinic problems to prefer the dermos. The biggest problem is their recruiting, and I have worked with skin cancer clinic guys that are excellent, but also with guys who aren't up to standard. I think regulation will raise their bar significantly. For now I use dermos, or only skin clinic Dr's I know i can trust.

hope this helps

Melanomas can vary greatly in the way they look.

The first sign of a melanoma is usually a change in an existing freckle or mole or the appearance of a new spot.

The change may be in:

* Colour: blotchy with a wide variety of colours, such as brown, black, blue, red, white and/or light grey.
* Size: begins to, or keeps getting, larger.
* Shape: irregular edge (scalloped or notched). If a line was drawn through the middle of the melanoma, the two sides would not match up. It may increase in height or become scaly.

Changes are normally noticed over several weeks or months rather than days.

Avoid buying sunnies from Bali etc. They do not meet australian standards, and are often worse for your eyes.
They cause your pupil to dilate (get bigger) and allows more light in. But the lense only makes it darker, doesnt stop the uv rays etc. Your eyes will get more rooted due to more uv than normal getting through.
Not sure about polarised sunnies being different. But if you buy in austalia (even kmart etc) they have to by law pass the same standards. I got my kiting sunnies from bigw. Polarised for 30 bucks. Got a little rope thing to hold em on. If i lose the lot im down $45. No biggie. Id rather look like a tosser, than not be able to look at all.

On ya chronic.....had my check up 1 removal 1 biopsy all clear. Thanks for the wake up call.

Great topic and posts. Mine is a little long winded but I think worth reading.

My background is years of "sun wreckless" surfing since I was a kid until I was about 25 and now 15 years of "sun responsible" surfing and kiting all with fair skin. This has resulted in 8 or so BCCs cut out, several smaller bccs treated sucessfully with Aldara and Effidux, two SCCs cut out, these are potentially fatal, and dozens of solar keratoses treated with liquid nitrogen.

Over the years, my first treatment was at 20, I have had some less than satisfactory treatment from both GPs and Dermos but after my years of experience as a patient I know my stuff well enough to get the treatment I want. I have never been to a mole/skin cancer clinic so can't comment on them.

My treatment I have now is a 6 monthly check up with a dermo by GP referral, or IMMEDIATELY if "something" appears, which includes checking soles of feet and my scalp. I am not bald but have highish peaks and have always been a little thinner on the crown but not one dermo ever checked my scalp until after getting my first SCC on my back a few years ago and learning of the potentially disatrous outcome of them on the scalp I now ask the dermos to check my scalp routinely.

Incidentally my first SCC was diagnosed as a cycst by a dermo who made an appoinment to come back in a few weeks to review it. It almost doubled in size over the next few days and became quite painful. I called the dermo office and was told there was no availability until my own appointment and to wait until then, I said I would be there in 1/2 an hour and would leave after I had seen someone, which I did. It was diagnosed properly then and they cut it out that day but the surgery was botched, which is another story, and I now have a scar on my back which is 3-4 times the size it should have been if treated properly when I first went in. And this is after an expensive revision by a plastic surgeon. I haven't been back to that dermo and I now get all my cutting done by a good plastic surgeon.

I also now do a two yearly 4 week effidux treatment under my dermos guidance on high risk areas like face, forearms, thighs and backs of calves(from years of surfing). So far I have done my face and forearms which revealed and killed off a huge amount of infant growths below skin level and I reckon it took a few years off my complexion as well which was a bonus. I'm now onto my calves and then I'll do my thighs and then I'll be ready to start again.

In terms of kite surfing I always wear good sunnies, a surf cap with protective covers OVER the ears and not straps around them, a helmet if its nuking, good sunscreen on my face and neck, fingerless gloves(kiters get a huge amount of direct sun on the backs of hands), and a long john with long sleeve rashie underneath or a steamer if its cold.

Yeah I'm def not the coolest guy on the beach but I've got kids now and will hopefully be around for a few years yet to teach em how to surf and kite when they're older, with all the sun safe gear of course!

Safe kiting!!!