Fighting melanoma every step of the way

Fighting to find a cure and raise awareness.

Dear Friends and Family:

I decided to run the Chicago Marathon in support of the Jack H. Marston II Melanoma Fund. Their campaign to fund research and provide awareness programs makes a huge difference. Early detection can save lives.

My dad was diagnosed with scalp melanoma in 2013, which rapidly progressed to stage 3b metastatic disease. The reason he is still with us today is that he was able to find and enroll in a clinical trial for the drug now known as Keytruda. He has been cancer free for almost 8 years now. It was a miracle that the timing of this trial was exactly what he needed, but I know there is still a long way to go in treating melanoma. This drug fortunately worked for him, but for others in situations like his (where existing treatments had not been working) this drug still did not cure them all. With continued research and drug development I hope one day melanoma can be an entirely curable disease, but I also hope with increased awareness it can be prevented even more.

If you or someone you know has had spots removed, precancerous cells, or had/have melanoma, you may already know the importance of research and awareness. If you have been fortunate so far, below are a few reasons why Jack’s Fund needs your support!

• Melanoma is the second most common cancer for young adults ages 15-29.
• On average, a person’s risk for melanoma doubles if they have had more than five sunburns, but just ONE blistering sunburn in childhood or adolescence more than doubles a person’s chances of developing melanoma later in life.
• Only 20-30% of melanomas are found in existing moles, while 70-80% arise on apparently normal skin.
• More people are diagnosed with skin cancer each year in the U.S. than all other cancers combined.
• At least one in five Americans will develop skin cancer by the age of 70.
• The annual cost of treating skin cancers in the U.S. is estimated at $8.1 billion: about $4.8 billion for non-melanoma skin cancers and $3.3 billion for melanoma.
• Some good news: the estimated five-year survival rate for patients whose melanoma is detected early is about 99%. However, the survival rate falls to 68% when the disease reaches the lymph nodes and 30% if the disease metastasizes to distant organs.
• In general, you should start getting screened for skin cancer in your 20s or 30s. However, if you’re in the sun a lot, have a family history of skin cancer, or have moles, you should be checked sooner. (Importance of Annual Skin Exams)

The risk of melanoma affects or has affected each and every one of us, and I truly believe the work that Jack’s Fund is doing to increase research funding and to develop awareness programs is so important!

If you are able, please consider making a donation to help me reach my goal of $1750.

• $30 = The rates of melanoma have been rising for the last 30 years
• $54 = One person dies every 54 minutes from melanoma
• $65 = The number of melanoma deaths is expected to increase by 6.5 percent in 2022
• $99.78 = 99,780 New cases of melanoma will be diagnosed in the US in 2022

Your support will make a real difference!

Katie

Some resources I found helpful -- one of the biggest things you can do is educate yourself and those around you!

Key Statistics for Melanoma Skin Cancer

Skin Cancer Facts and Statistics

Skin Cancer Prevention

Sun Protection Guide