HOUSTON — For the next week or so I'll be wearing this big band-aid on my nose. That's because on my routine visit to my dermatologist, they found a tiny red spot that turned out to be something called 'Basal Cell Carcinoma.'
It's one of the most common types of skin cancer. Millions of people are diagnosed with it every year. It's also very treatable, but it is something that needs to be removed.
How did it happen? I grew up visiting Galveston beaches almost every spring break and at least another week in the summer. I do remember getting a few bad sunburns.
Add to that a life of golf, soccer, tennis and not wearing sunscreen all the time; it can, and did, add up to skin cancer.
I'm lucky. There are much more serious skin cancers out there. The take away from this should be to wear sunscreen AND see your dermatologist at least once a year. Catching these things early is the key!
What is basal cell carcinoma?
According to M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, basal cell carcinoma is the most common cancer in the world, with more than four million diagnoses each year.