Stage IV melanoma survivor: Dark skin won’t protect you from skin cancer

I’ve always been aware of my body. So, when something goes awry, I follow up. Any time I notice something unusual, or just don’t feel quite right, I think, “I need to call somebody about this.” And I do.

That has helped me stay alive for 76 years, by the grace of God. And that’s why I was so surprised to be diagnosed with stage IV melanoma on May 10, 2009.

My one unusual melanoma symptom

The weirdest thing about my melanoma diagnosis is that it wasn’t found on my skin. The tumor was buried deep inside my left lung. Nobody really knows where it started, either, because that’s the only place the cancer ever developed.

The only reason I discovered it at all was because I had an X-ray on Mother’s Day. I’d had a little cough for a while. But that was nothing new because rheumatic fever damaged my heart as a child. When I started having trouble breathing, though, I called an ambulance. 

The EMTs checked me out and couldn’t find anything wrong. But because of my heart history, they took me to a local emergency room for additional testing. The technician on duty could see a little shadow on my chest X-ray, but he didn’t know what it was. It concerned him enough that he ordered a CT scan and told me to follow up with my regular cardiologist the next day.

I followed his advice. My cardiologist ordered some additional scans. Those revealed an egg-sized tumor in my left lung. Biopsies showed it was melanoma. I was stunned.

My melanoma diagnosis

As a Black female, I remember thinking that my diagnosis didn’t make any sense. I'd grown up playing outside all the time and had never given the sun any thought. Of course, that was in the days before sunscreen. But I also knew that melanoma is normally external and it’s fairly rare among people of color. I’d never noticed anything unusual on my skin.

My doctor insisted that the tumor was melanoma, though, and I needed lung surgery to remove it. So, I had that done on June 19, 2009, near my home in Pensacola. 

Doctors there removed the tumor along with the lower third of my left lung. They sent tissue samples of it to a cancer center in Maryland and to MD Anderson to confirm their diagnosis. They also said that while they were confident they’d removed all the cancer and it hadn’t spread anywhere else, I still needed to be monitored regularly by melanoma specialists.

Why I trust MD Anderson with my surveillance care

I knew MD Anderson was the nation’s premiere cancer hospital because I’m a native Texan and I’ve lived in Houston for most of my adult life. Most of my family still lives there, too, so it feels like home. That’s why I thought, “Why go all the way to Jacksonville when I can make a visit out of it in Houston while I do what I need to do?” I’ve continued to return to MD Anderson each August for my annual check-up ever since. 

The thing I like most about MD Anderson is that I’m always treated like an individual — never just a number. And as a person who is forever questioning things, it always impresses me how everyone I meet there is so willing to help me find the answers. With Gods’ help, and their expert attention to detail, I’ve been cancer-free for 15 years.

The importance of sun safety, regardless of skin color 

I’m proof that having dark skin won’t protect you from skin cancer. So, today, I don’t take anything for granted. I wear a hat and long sleeves any time I go outside. And, I try to avoid the sun whenever I’m outdoors for any extended length of time. 

I also tell people to practice sun safety regardless of their skin color. Be aware of your body and investigate quickly if anything seems off. Don’t dismiss or be afraid of what you notice. And, don’t listen to the naysayers who say you can’t get thus-n-such just because you have dark skin.

Request an appointment at MD Anderson online or call 1-877-632-6789.