Early identification of a suspect mole is critical.
“When caught early, melanoma is very manageable,” says Sauder, who was motivated to pursue a career in dermatology — specifically onco-dermatology — after a close family friend died of melanoma. “It’s when we let things go, that’s when most people get into trouble.”
In fact, cure rates can reach 90 per cent — one of the highest cure rates of all cancers — but when untreated, melanoma invades your skin, reaching your bloodstream or lymphatic system, damaging other body parts and often causing death. The
reports that an estimated 9,000 Canadians were diagnosed with melanoma in 2022 and 1,200 died from it. Of note, the number of people diagnosed has increased from 8,700 in 2021 which is an 8.5 per cent jump from 2020.
“Once you get a diagnosis of cancer, you never really get over it”
Maureen Meehan of London, Ont. considers herself one of the lucky ones. Her cancer was caught early enough to save her life, but she’s been through a lot since a diagnosis of stage 3 malignant melanoma in 2017.
“When you have a diagnosis of cancer, you never really get over it,” says Meehan, who has been remission for one year. “It’s always in the back of my mind.