by Emily Clark '13
It is May, Melanoma Awareness Month. Melanoma is the most serious type of cancer. It can occur on any part of skin, for men it typically appears on the chest and back , for women, it is found mostly on the legs.
This cancer can form in two distinct ways. One way is due to exposure to the sun for too long, another way is through artificial tanning which can lead to an excessive amount of ultraviolet(UV) light. Although this cancer can be deadly, if it is discovered early enough, it could mean the chances of recovery are very good.
This disease affects the lives of many. According to the Huffington Post, many celebrities have been affected by Melanoma or have shown signs of having Melanoma symptoms such as: Ewan McGregor and Anderson Cooper. Due to their notoriety, celebrities raise awareness of the fatal disease. Given that May is the month to bring awareness to this diease many retail stores are helping to raise money, stores such as Claires' for example has joined the fight. Over 5200 people are will die from this disease. If you are interested in finding out more about this deadly disease, visit the following websites.
http://www.skincancer.org/skin-cancer-information/melanoma
http://www.cancer.org/Cancer/SkinCancer-Melanoma/DetailedGuide/melanoma-skin-cancer-what-is-melanoma
http://www.melanoma.com/whatis.html
