I love this site and it is always a place that can make me smile...Well, I just found out a really good friend of mine has cancer, melanoma to be exact...He had it about 5 years ago and for all practical purposes, beat it... Unfortunately, it came back with a vengance and it doesn't look too good...All I ask is to pray for him, Doug, my little buddy... I don't know much about it and have been doing some research...I found a site where you can order books and stuff... National Cancer Institute
I've lost a couple of friends to cancer at young ages. Breaks your heart. Best to your friend and his family.
I'm going through the same thing with several family members. Keeping your friend (and other cancer victims and survivors) in my thoughts!!!
Mellanoma is skin cancer. I'm not sure, but if he's had it before and since it is on the skin where he can find it easily, I think the survival rate is very good. I think you can find the precancerous spots by examining moles for protruding, multi-colored ones that deviate from totally round. But that's just off the top of my head. My mother had several melanomas removed at various times she has a couple of sizable scars, and one humongous one. But I think she has been getting them off and on for about 15-20 years, and I don't think it even phases her too much any more when she goes to the doctor and has to have something removed. I think as long as it hasn't metastasized, they can remove a whole swath of skin and replace it with a graft from somewhere else. Anyway, good luck to your friend. I hope it is not serious. I will pray for him. EDIT: I just looked it up. As long as it hasn't spread to another location the survival rate is 98%.
^Well, it's on his spine now...He'll be starting radiation and chemo manana... huh? Thanks guys...He's such a great, funny guy...We went to Vegas last year and were planning to go there again...Not afraid to say it, but I love the guy...He's always been a great friend...check that, is a great friend... Cliche, but life is really is too short...
