In addition to Dawn’s desire to help others better themselves through higher education, Dawn is also determined to make others aware of the dangers of skin cancer, specifically melanoma. In June 2009, Dawn was diagnosed with malignant melanoma, the most serious and deadly form of skin cancer. Because her family is at a higher risk for skin cancer (having light skin and moles and freckles), her sister urged her to visit the dermatologist for an all over skin check. During this visit, her doctor found three moles that didn’t look quite right. They were shaved off and biopsied. A few days later, Dawn received a call from the doctor to tell her that she has melanoma and will need surgery.

The minor outpatient surgery removed all of the tissue around the melanoma that included 26 stitches (10 internally and 16 on the surface). Of all of the places for the cancer to appear, it was found on her buttocks. Who checks their butt for skin cancer? The tissue was analyzed and the pathology report indicated that the cancer did not spread because it was caught early.

Dawn hopes to educate others on the importance of having routine skin checks for skin cancer. If she would not have gone in when she did, the outcome would have been very different. If not found early, melanoma can spread deeper into the skin and to other parts of the body, and eventually can lead to death.

For more information on melanoma, please visit the following sites:

http://www.cancer.org/docroot/CRI/content/CRI_2_2_1X_What_is_melanoma_skin_cancer_50.asp?sitearea=CRI

http://www.melanoma.com/