Florida, Summer, Skin Cancer

Health and Science for Sunday 061310

Hey folks,

Summer is here in full swing. Last week was in the high 90s. All over the country though, summer is arriving, kids are getting out of school, and people are spending more and more time outdoors. Here in Sunny South Florida, you have to be cautious no matter what time of year, but of course, even more so in the Florida Summer. Why else do you think a lot of the Snow Birds leave. It's just too hot for them.

So every now and then, a little reminder is not a bad thing. I remember hearing a kid, I don't know, like 15 or 16, telling her Mom on a Beach I was at, "I don't need Sunblock. I already got burned. Can't burn again." Well, A - Not true. B- Getting a Sunburn is not the worst thing that can happen.

This new paper that just showed up at my home, Florida Health Care News, has an excellent article on this. Florida Health Care News - Skin Cancer: the Disease

Though melanoma remains one of the deadliest skin cancers on record, both its risk factors and preventative measures are often overlooked and underestimated.

Born and raised in Florida, Bill Phares knows a little something about spending time in the sun. In fact, he shares, as a boy growing up in the small town of Frostproof, it wasn’t uncommon to wear nothing but a bathing suit, day after sunny day. “We’d wake up in the morning and put those bathing suits on, and we were in them until nighttime came and it was time for bed.”

OK. I would LOVE to visit "Frostproof." What a GREAT name for a Town in Florida.

Of course, he adds, there was no sunscreen back then, and it wasn’t until he was in his late 50s that he started to pay attention to the effects of that early exposure. “I was blond-haired and blue-eyed as a youngster, and I realized I had to take care of my skin and get this stuff taken care of.”

Concerned about some large spots on his arm, which were further aggravated, he believes, by years of driving with that arm resting outside the window of his truck, Bill says he relied on word of mouth to guide him to the right dermatologist. “People said, Hey, there’s this guy, a young guy, and you ought to go see him . So I went to him and I just love him. Dr. Ioannides has one of those personalities that you just don’t find in many doctors.”

And the more he saw “Dr. I.,” the more Bill says he realized how much the doctor – and the entire staff at Treasure Coast Dermatology – stood apart from the typical dermatology practice.

Skin cancer affects doctors, too

For the doctors at Treasure Coast Dermatology, detecting and treating skin cancer is not just part of the job description; it is a passion rooted in personal experience.

At the age of 35, Jonathan Sanders, MD, JD, began his own battle against the disease – a battle he is convinced he won because of early detection. “I continue to be vigilant and undergo regular examinations to ensure that history doesn’t repeat itself,” he stresses.

Similarly, more than 15 biopsies later, Tim Ioannides, MD, says he wishes he could travel back in time and make use of the advice he now gives his patients. “I was a bit of a beach bum in my younger years,” he shares. “Back then, it never occurred to me that all of that time in the sun would come back to burn me.”

This year, the doctors inform, tens of thousands of Americans will develop melanoma, which is the most deadly of all skin cancers. Particularly tragic, since the cancer is usually curable when discovered in its early stages, thousands of those diagnosed will die as a result of the disease. The most important factor, according to Drs. Ioannides and Sanders, is time; early detection is critical.

According to Dr. Ioannides, despite estimates showing that one person dies from melanoma every hour, people don’t take skin care seriously, and many mistakenly believe that skin cancer only affects those who spend a lot of time in the sun or in a tanning bed.

“Individuals should check themselves carefully in a mirror and look for skin tags, moles, or unusual spots on the body. When you find them,” he cautions, “run ­– don’t walk – to our office to be examined by a professional.”

Sometimes, the doctor notes, the mole or spot turns out to be nothing serious. “If it’s nothing,” he says, “you’ll feel much better. And if it’s something, your vigilance might just save your life.”

Upon visiting Treasure Coast Dermatology, patients will benefit from the most up-to-date knowledge available as well as state-of-the-art technology. Drs. Sanders and Ioannides perform Mohs Micrographic Surgery, the most advanced method for treating – and beating – skin cancer. In fact, studies show the success rate of Mohs surgery to be between 97 and 99.8 percent in patients with basal cell carcinoma, the most common form of skin cancer.

Regardless of how much time patients spend in the sun, the doctors at Treasure Coast Dermatology stress that everyone needs to take skin cancer prevention seriously and make sure they don’t become another melanoma statistic.

Treating patients, supporting community

Given his own long history of significant sun exposure, Bill says that Dr. Ioannides has performed many procedures in the last several years to improve the health of his skin. “I’ve had spots removed, surgically, and I’ve had them treated with liquid nitrogen to freeze them off,” he explains.

In addition, he says he is especially pleased with the doctor’s work when it comes to one of his more serious areas of sun damage. “My right ear was in dire need of help, so Dr. Ioannides did a skin graft. All the work he’s done on that ear, and it still looks like a regular, perfect ear. You wouldn’t know anything had happened to it.

“He has just taken excellent, excellent care of me. He always fusses at me for not wearing a hat as much as I should, and for not wearing long-sleeved shirts,” Bill says with a chuckle. “But that’s just the way I was raised.”

And even though he has learned that most of his current skin issues stem back to the sun exposure from his childhood, Bill reports that he has definitely gained more awareness about the time he spends in the sun these days. “Now, I try to remember sunscreen, and I try to wear a cap or a cowboy hat when I’m out. I used to think, Oh, the heck with it , but not anymore.”

To maintain his skin health, Bill shares that, “the doctor has gone over me with a fine-toothed comb, you might say, and he’s always looking out for any little skin issues that I might have.

“I really just enjoy going to see him. He’s not one that rushes you in, like you’re being run through an assembly line. He takes time with you and asks what concerns you have, what spots you want to have looked at, and if there’s anything he can do for you.”

Of course, Bill notes, Dr. Ioannides’ manner and expertise are only some of the reasons he truly enjoys going to Treasure Coast Dermatology. “He has the right staff there, I can grant you that. They’re what an old Florida boy would call top drawer . People just don’t get any better than that.”

For that reason, as someone with a preference for very early morning appointments, he shares that he often likes to bring the staff a little gift when he visits. “I stop and get a gallon of hand-squeezed orange juice and carry it in there. They just love that.”

And something that impresses Bill every bit as much as the fantastic personal care he receives is the way Dr. Ioannides, Dr. Sanders, and the Treasure Coast Dermatology staff involve themselves with the community. “Treasure Coast Dermatology supports the various sheriffs' offices in the area, particularly their K-9 units. They’re a big supporter of the Okeechobee County Fair and the National Day of the American Cowboy, and they contribute money so that hardworking high school athletes can afford to attend tournaments and showcase their abilities.

“In these tough times, there are kids who are working so hard in high school but their families just can’t afford to get them to these college scouting events. They’re out there doing car washes and trying to make money to go. Treasure Coast Dermatology contributes money to help them.

“It’s an amazing thing to me – people who are willing to give to others they don’t even know. Even things like county fairs and parades and stuff like that; those are for older people and the very young at heart. If you’re helping those things thrive, you’re giving back to the whole community.”

The doctors also hold an annual Patient Appreciation Day, Bill reports, a celebration in which the doctors and their staff feed and visit with more than a 1000 people. “They invite all of their patients to come, and it might even be as many as two thousand people. That’s something that ninety to ninety-five percent of doctors don’t even think about doing. Treasure Coast Dermatology is just phenomenal in the way they think about giving back."

In a nutshell, Bill couldn’t be more pleased and impressed with his doctor. “He’s just such a great guy, and a real leader in the community. I like doing business with people who care about the community,” he shares. “And it’s not that he does it because he feels like he has to. He does it because he wants to, and that’s the type of person he is. All of that is what brought me to see Dr. Ioannides.

“I’m just so glad I went to see him to start with. I highly recommend him to anybody.” FHCN - Brenda Klettke

So what IS Mohs Micrographic Surgery?

With the highest success rate of all skin cancer treatments, Mohs surgery is considered the most advanced and effective skin cancer treatment currently available. The procedure, which requires a physician to be specially trained in surgery, pathology and reconstruction, makes use of microscopic technology to trace the edges of the cancer, ensuring that all tumors are completely removed, down to the root of the malignancy.

By using the Mohs technique, physicians are able to remove the tumor in layers without touching the surrounding healthy tissue, which minimizes the potential for both scarring and re-growth.

Most often used to treat basal and squamous cell carcinomas, Mohs Surgery can also be used to treat tumors resulting from melanoma.

If you are concerned about Skin Cancer, and or just want more information. Visit their Website, and her is some information on those in this article, in case you live in or are planing to visit us here in Florida,

FOR MORE INFORMATION
Treasure Coast Dermatology
Tim Ioannides, MD
Jonathan S. Sanders, MD, JD
140 S.W. Chamber Court, Suite 200
Port St. Lucie, FL 34986
(772) 878-3376

Ft. Pierce Medical Center
2402 Frist Blvd., Suite 101
Ft. Pierce, FL 34950
(772) 464-6464

448 S.E. Osceola St.
Stuart, FL 34994
(772) 221-3330

1155 35th Lane, Suite 202
Vero Beach, FL 32960
(772) 778-7782

1924 US Hwy 441 N.
Okeechobee, FL 34972
(863) 467-9555

1770 S. E. Hillmoor Dr.
Port St. Lucie, FL 34952
(772) 398-8213

801 Wellness Way, Suite 103
Sebastian, FL 32958
(772) 388-1740

www.tcdermatology.com

Be right Back.
Peter