March 4, 1998 - LIONS EYE - Page 5 Opinion & Review Health Alert: Unexpected Skin Cancer Could Mean Life/Death By Kelly Holmes Spring Break is coming to PSU and nothing could be better than slipping on a pair of shorts and getting out into the warm Florida sunshine. However, students need to be cautious with Mother Nature's greatest source of life, the sun. I am a twenty year old female student at Penn State Delco. My major is English and I have hopes of becoming a lawyer someday. However, on January 2, 1998, I was diagnosed with skin cancer. Needless to say, sometimes my hopes of a healthy future are shadowed by thoughts of illness or possibly death. I considered myself to be of some intelligence yet I was completely in the dark when it came to my health. I used to love baking in the sun; I even went to tanning booths. I enjoyed the golden look of a tan body, but I was completely oblivious to the harm it was causing me. The mole was on my back, near the left shoulder. 1 was born with this mole and it was rather cute at one time. My father used to call it my “beauty mark”. The mole began to change little by little as I started into womanhood. I remember my mother always saying, “Get that mole checked at your next physical.” But I was too scared of needles to even think of getting a mole removed. A few months ago when I got up the nerve and asked my family doctor about the mole, right away she said, “Have it removed immediately!” I said, “ Well, go ahead and take it off.” But she told me that it was too big to be done by her and that I would have to have it “cut out” by a surgeon. The type of cancer that I was diagnosed with is called “malignant melanoma”. My surgeon, Doctor David M. Freed of the Paoli Medical Associates (who according to Philadelphia Magazine, is one of the top surgeons in the area) said, “This is a potentially serious form of skin cancer in which the tanning cells in your skin that produce a dark-colored substance called “melanin” undergo growth. A melanoma can appear suddenly or can develop out of or near a mole.” This disease is very serious because in later stages a melanoma spreads to other organs and can be fatal. University of Penn’s Cancer Center wrote in a newsletter that “although melanoma is less common than other skin cancers, it is increasing at a faster rate than any other cancer, except lung cancer, in women. During the past decade, the number of cases in the U.S. has almost doubled.” People always say to me,” But you're so young!” and they are right, but cancer can strike anyone, at any time. The following list is for individuals with characteristics of melanoma that may put them at a . greater risk than others: Prior diagnosis of a malignant melanoma Some unusual mole or many moles Fair skin Excessive exposure to the sun in the first 10-15 years of life Red or blonde hair Lots of freckles Certain kinds of birth marks. If you or anyone you know falls into one or more of these categories, you or that person should see a doctor and inquire about melanoma. For further information, call the University of Pennsylvania Cancer Center's Information and referral service at 1- 800-383-UPCC. Health is something that we have some control over. We can improve our health in many ways by the lifestyles we live, for example not going to tanning salons, trying to eat a balanced diet full of vitamins and minerals that the body needs in order to properly defend itself from illness, and regularly exercising. Please take your physical state seriously. Go to doctors and ask them questions. You know your body better than any one else, so bring it to a physician’s attention when something does not seem right. Campus Construction Continues! New tech building set to open in late June. March Beer Drinkards Tap The Best and the Worse By B Ray ...And on the 7th day, God created microwave ovens, remote controls, instant popcorn, credit cards, Wawa hoagies, No Doz, Jolt, extra strength Tylenol Starbucks coffee, the National Hockey League, and ‘of course..... BEER! St. Patrick’s Day is rapidly approaching and it is time to start preparing for the most festive day of the year. Not only does St. Patrick’s Day remind us that summer will soon be upon us, it also marks the beginning point of the second half of the semester. Only seven weeks left! It is a time for all us good Irish lads and lassies (OK, I'm Italian...close enough right?) to celebrate our heritage with friend, laughs, love, and most importantly, a whole lotta’ suds. So what's on tap this year? Before you go out and make your decision based on quantity and cost, let me use my twenty-five past St. Patrick’s Days to give the beginner a little inside info what to buy, what not to buy, and why. : I'm not saying I drink more than any of you, I'm just saying... Oh, all right, I do. THE VERY D Yeungling- No longer best in just this area; now one of the best in the country. Guinness- You gotta like the dark stuff, but if you do.... Killians- They just can’t make enough; it’s simply awesome. Moosehead- Damn those Canadians are talented. Michelob Amber Bock- Looks dark, tastes light, goes down WAY too fast. HE D Amstel Light- It’s so light I can drink twice as much, right? O’Keefe- Hard to > find but ‘worth the search. Molson- Why do you think the Canadian Olympic Hockey team did so bad? LaBatts- La good stuff. Heineken- The first 9 or 10 are superb; does it matter how it tastes after that? THE BAD Coors Light- You'll run to the bathroom like a silver bullet. Miller Lite- You're right behind the Coors Light guy. Busch- Ahhhh memories... was 18. Old Milwaukee- You'd think after all these years they would market New Milwaukee. Keystone- What they don’t tell you is the bitter beer face lasts the whole next day. of when I (Continued on page 11) How Should Delco Spend Its Activity Fee? By Tracy Dinh Ottrina Bond (Pre-Med, junior): “I be- lieve more in-class resources shouid be beneficial and improve classroom time for teachers and instructors.” John Dark (Engineering, sophomore): “Bring more speakers.” Nasir Neal (Criminal Justice, fresh- man): “I think that we should have a Multi-Cultural Day. It should be a campus-wide event, lasting all day. It should not just be in a room for an hour.” Sot Poy (Nursing, sophomore): “The money should go towards [better] lighting on campus.”
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers