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Face2face is a blog about planning face-to-face meetings, conferences, conventions, and trade shows, plus business travel and hospitality news.

Sue Pelletier MeetingsNet Web editor, mad blogger, and editor of Association Meetings magazine...more

PSA: Today is melanoma Monday

Sue Pelletier May 5th, 2008

Did you know:

An estimated 62,480 new melanoma cases will be diagnosed this year. Melanoma is the most deadly form of skin cancer.

About 8,420 people in the United States are expected to die of melanoma this year.

Melanoma is the second most common cancer in women from ages 20 to 29.

When caught early, melanoma is 98 percent curable. When caught at Stage 4, survival rates fall to less than 5 percent.

As I mentioned a few months back, I had a glancing blow from the melanoma monster not long ago. So far, it looks like I’m among the lucky ones who get to walk away with some spectacular scars. Others aren’t so lucky.

Know the risk factors and the ABCDs of detection. While fair-skinned, light-haired, blue-eyed folks like me are most likely to get skin cancer, no one is safe–it’s an equal opportunity killer. Visit Carver’s blog for a lot of good links (plus some beautiful photos of flowers from her garden).

Please be careful out there, wear sunscreen, and don’t be shy about insisting that your skin concerns be taken seriously. It could very literally mean your life.