Celebrities and Skin Cancer

by Michele Cheplic | More from this Blogger

22 Apr 2008 03:30 PM

Being a self-professed "tanaholic" (blame it on the fact that I was born and raised in Hawaii) I often worry that my days of basting (with baby oil) and baking as a teen might come back to haunt me.

These days every time I notice an irregular mole or a raised freckle I speed dial my dermatologist. It doesn't matter that now (years later) as a mother I am extremely vigilant about protecting my skin (and my family's), the damage is done. All I can do now is hope and pray that I didn't sustain irreparable damage.

And I know I am not alone. Long before the sunscreen alphabet ("UVA," "UVB," "SPF") became common knowledge many sun worshippers followed a tanning regime similar to mine.

Take Ewan McGregor for example.

The fair-skinned Scottish actor just revealed that he had a brush with skin cancer.

The 37-year-old "Deception" star says he is "fine" now, but confessed he learned an important lesson... the hard way.

McGregor told a reporter from the BBC that doctors removed several suspicious-looking facial moles (one of the larger ones was located just below his right eye) as a precaution, but tests later revealed that a few were cancerous.

The "Star Wars" actor's tale is similar to CNN newsman Anderson Cooper's skin cancer scare.

Last month the handsome news anchor revealed that he had minor surgery to remove a "small spot of skin cancer" from under his left eye.

Cooper blogged about his experience saying that it was best that he tell the world since his facial stitches would likely lead to more questions.

Then, just last week came the devastating news that Bruce Springsteen's E Street bandmate Danny Federici, died of melanoma, after a three-year battle with the disease. He was 58.

As summer approaches and many of us get ready to spend time in the fresh air, be aware that the American Cancer Society estimates that this year alone, there will be will be 62,480 new cases of melanoma diagnosed in the United States. So slather on the sunscreen before you head outdoors.

Learn more about Michele Cheplic

Michele Cheplic was born and raised in Hilo, Hawaii, but now lives in Wisconsin. Michele graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree in Journalism.

View Full Profile | More from this Blogger