Kristen's Story

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I thought skin cancer was something that only happened to people my mother's age, says 19-year-old, BC cancer survivor, Kristen Sanderson.

That was until Kristen, only 18 years old at the time, received an urgent call from her doctor. Weeks before, she had had two moles removed for cosmetic reasons. At that time, her dermatologist noticed an unusual mole at the top of her back and removed this as a precaution.

It was a fairly small mole which was shaped like a Mickey Mouse head with ears. Kristen and her mother received the bad news together - the mole was a melanoma, the most serious form of skin cancer. Further surgery was required to remove any surrounding cancerous cells. That involved a cut about five inches long by three inches wide around the area of the mole, and many stitches.

A special solution was injected into the area of the cancer to show where the cancerous cells may have traveled to. This led to the removal of the lymph nodes under one arm. However, no chemotherapy or radiation was needed. Kristen's family and friends were understandably upset and shocked by her diagnosis, and some tears were shed. However, the melanoma was caught at an early stage when the cure rate is very high - over 95%.

Kristen, who grew up in Vancouver's Lower Mainland, says she spent a lot of time in the sun as a child, whether out playing in the backyard pool or during sunny vacations - with very little protection for her skin.

If my mum put a hat on me, it was just seconds before I threw it off. And I didn't like sunscreen... While others in her family tanned easily, her skin would usually burn first and tanning was difficult. Like many teenage girls, she became quite obsessed with having a tan. Working at a tanning salon for one year ensured a constant source of UV year-round.

I had heard the messages about being careful in the sun, but just felt I was young and that nothing would happen to me, she says. She now recommends being safe in the sun to her friends - using sunscreen, hats, clothing, avoiding the sun around midday, seeking shade and not using sunbeds.

Young people should also be aware of changes in moles or spots on their skin and have anything suspicious checked as soon as possible, she adds.