MSM scare tactics and a guerilla

From Today's Palm Beach Post-

In the shady cusp of the danger zone, by the sea grapes that separate Atlantic Avenue from the beach, a retiree from Indiana prepares for a day in the sun.

Peter Agostino is not wearing sunblock, and he does not intend to put any on.

"I put some on the first couple of days," he says. "I don't need it."

The newspaper's weather page ranks today's sun danger as a 7 on a scale of 1 to 12.

In as little as seven to 10 minutes, ultraviolet rays that travel from the sun to the skin can cause changes at the cellular level that result in, among other problems, sunburn. The sunburn will go away, but the unseen damage to cells could last a lifetime.

This article, written by meghan_meyer, and titled '7 minutes in the sun can lead to lifetime of problems', is really a disservice when trying to educate people about skin cancer. The article is written in real time, telling of people out in the Delray Beach area. Skin damage to the skin comes from alot more than seven minutes out in the sun.

Reminder- TFM is a thirteen year malignant melanoma survivor.

Agostino says he has a "base tan."

That's not something to be proud of, said Miami skin cancer surgeon Dr. Alysa Herman, a spokeswoman for The Skin Cancer Foundation. Like sunburn, a tan is not healthy. It's a defense mechanism.

"It's a sign of exposure to the sun," she said. "Over time, cumulative exposure leads to cancer."

This is one of the few things right about this article. Dr. Herman is correct. There is no such thing as a healthy tan.

A sunburn alters the nuclei and the cytoplasm in normal skin cells. The cell becomes something entirely different, something scientists call a "sunburn cell."

By peeling, the skin tries to heal itself, to shed the damaged skin cells that have morphed into sunburn cells, said Herman, who performs 1,200 skin cancer surgeries each year. The damage is so intense, she said, that the cells cannot repair themselves. Usually, the sunburn cells die. Research has shown that when the damaged cells don't die, years later they can develop into tumors.

And they are showing up in younger and younger sunbathers.

"Despite public education, if you drive by the beach today, it'll be packed," Herman said. "People come into my office with a burn. I tell them, 'I can't believe you're coming into my office with a burn! Can't you at least wait until the burn fades?''"

Advise to all South Floridians- Avoid this woman doctor at all cost. Her lack of bedside manners(plus note this page. No mention of any work with melanoma patients. So I have to assume she has limited experience with that deadly skin cancer. Otherwise, why not mention it?) depicted in that ending quote, isn't worth any patient having to put up with. I've had similar experiences with a Dr. Howard Green here in Palm Beach County. Neither have any empathy for their patients, and instead have the manners of a large primate. I dumped Dr. Green long ago.

Does Dr. Herman agree with the Post that seven minutes sun exposure is harmful to the skin?

If a man or woman in Miami-Dade or Broward County suspect they have any type of skin cancer, I can't recommend Dr. Harold Rabinowitz highly enough. He has offices in both counties. If anyone needs contact info for this dermatologist, leave a comment with your email address. I'll write back.

Malignant melanoma is serious business. The Palm Beach Post and Dr. Alysa Herman didn't provide any help at all with what was said in today's paper.

Linked to- Jo, Pursuing Holiness, Right Wing Nation, Third World County, Yankee Sailor,