2023-05-11 18:56:45
For Marie-Ève Richard, skin cancer first appeared at the age of 24. A mole on her back started to itch like a mosquito bite. Following the advice of the director of the tanning salon she frequented regularly, she consulted a dermatologist.
Initially, the medical professional did not take her seriously. “He told me I was far too young to have skin cancer,” she says. I didn’t feel like I was being listened to at the time.”
She had to insist on having that mole assessed. Then, the verdict falls: it is indeed a melanoma. “As long as it doesn’t happen to us, we don’t ask ourselves so many questions. We think we are above that, ”testifies Ms. Richard.
See Béatrice Roy-Brunet’s report in the video linked to the article.
Melanoma, a cancer present in young people
Skin cancer patients like Marie-Ève, dermatologist Jean-François Tremblay, see them parade through his Outremont office every day. “The appearance of skin cancers is increasingly young, in particular in patients who have abused the sun outside, but also tanning salons”, mentions the dermatologist, who is also the medical director of Dermapure and Project Skin MD.
“It’s important not to think that it’s a problem that will only happen in older age. Sometimes, we are a little in denial when we are young, ”he adds.
Melanoma, which is the most dangerous and deadly skin cancer because it can easily spread to other organs in our body, is also one of the most common cancers in the elderly. from 15 to 49 years old.
Moreover, tanning salon enthusiasts, like Marie-Ève Richard was before her diagnosis, are particularly at risk. to the Canadian Cancer Society.
When the skin begins to change color, it is a defense mechanism of the latter to show us that it must protect itself, she explains. “A lot of times we think that if you don’t get sunburned, you’re okay, you don’t need sunscreen. It’s a false sense of security.”
According to Dr. Tremblay, clinical studies have shown that the accumulation of sunburn damages the genetic material of skin cells. “When the genetic code of the cell becomes too damaged, the cell begins to replicate in a disorganized way and a tumor forms.”
You must therefore avoid repeated sunburn, but you must also be wary of cumulative sun exposure over the years.
A recurrence several years later
The years passed for Marie-Ève Richard, who entered into remission from her cancer. But 16 years later, at the age of 39, his life changed again. The cancer returns, this time at stage 3. “It’s much more impactful and it’s another reality also being a mother,” she says.
For a year, Ms. Richard had to undergo immunotherapy treatments, a therapy that helps the patient’s immune system fight the cancer, but often causes side effects.
She says she found the treatments particularly distressing. “I was very weak. I couldn’t be active because otherwise I’d start shaking.” This period was also difficult for those around him, helpless witnesses of his ordeal.
Sunscreen, clothing and shade
Melanoma can be avoided in most cases by being careful about sun exposure and avoiding tanning salons, says Alexandra Lalonde, project manager at the Canadian Cancer Society.
The best way to avoid damage caused by the sun on our skin is obviously to protect ourselves from our earliest childhood by starting with sunscreen.
We recommend at least a sunscreen with a protection factor greater than 30. “It must be broad spectrum, so UVA and UVB, which protect against both. It is also recommended that it be water repellent. You have to put it back on after swimming, after playing sports or every 2 hours,” lists Ms. Lalonde.
However, you have to put enough in to be adequately protected. The amount to apply is equivalent to the size of a golf ball.
However, sunscreen is not the most effective way to protect yourself. Nothing replaces long, dark colored clothing or shade.
“Protect it as much as possible not only for the aesthetic side, but to keep it healthy for a long time. It is the largest organ in our body. We have to take care of it,” concludes Marie-Ève Richard.
Despite the difficulty of the event, the latter still manages to draw something positive from her experience. Formerly a professional photographer, she reoriented herself after the recurrence of her cancer.
“With all the treatments I had, it was so physically impactful that I couldn’t think of going back to that job. It was like a return to zero,” she says.
Dissatisfied with the clothing with sun protection on the market, Ms. Richard decided to launch KRABÉO. The company, which has just started, offers swimsuits with protection against ultraviolet rays.
The treatments ended towards the end of April. “It’s brand new. It is a great liberation. We celebrated the end of the treatments. It’s to find my body, to find my life, ”says Mrs. Richard with a smile on her face.
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