Michele left scarred by skin cancer

Michele Slane (41) lives in west Belfast with husband Francis and her two children Neil (22) and Kirsty (10).  Michele, who was diagnosed with malignant melanoma in 2010, warns of the dangers of sunbeds and sunbathing. She says:

“From about the age of 17 until 30 I used sunbeds on a regular basis. I didn’t use them every week, but would’ve used about two hours over the course of a year.  As my skin never burned, I believed I had a dark skin type so never used a sun cream higher than factor 10 when abroad.  Normally I would have used factor 2 oils and, for a few days, used no sun protection factor at all.

“I was working in the Haematology department at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast when one of the consultants overheard me talking about using sunbeds. He took me aside and pointed out the dangers and even brought in some photos of skin cancer to show me.

“While I felt for the people who had been affected, it didn’t put me off or change my attitude to tanning – like many young people, I thought that skin cancer was something that happened to others.

“When I was on holiday in Turkey in August 2010, I noticed a black mole on the top of my right thigh.  I thought about getting it checked out on my return home but quickly forgot about it. Around mid-October my thigh started to get increasingly itchy so I went to see my GP who referred me to Dermatology.

“By early November I was told I had Stage 2 malignant melanoma. It was a huge shock – especially for my family.  After reading up about malignant melanoma I realised that, because it had been caught early, with surgery the outcome should be good.

“The treatment went well and I recovered without needing plastic surgery (although I have been left with a scar), any radiotherapy or chemotherapy.  But the consultant did stress that it could have been a very different story.  Initially my progress was checked at out-patients clinics every three months, then every six months before being discharged.

“Aside from the impact on your health, skin cancer affects you in ways you don’t even think of.  For three years after my diagnosis getting any form of life insurance or travel insurance has been near impossible – something that will always crop up time and time again in the future for me.

“Needless to say my outlook on tanning has changed considerably.  I’m now extremely conscious of protecting my skin in the sun as are my family – they’re attitudes have changed for the better too.

“Whenever I hear of someone going for a sunbed session I’m the one warning about them about the dangers now.  But like I did all those years ago, young people think that it won’t happen to them. That is why it is really important to change attitudes to tanning, to encourage people to pay attention to their skin and if they notice any changes to go to their GP to get it checked out. I’m so glad that it wasn’t too late for me.”