New, Changing, Unusual<\/strong><\/h3>\nLaura Anne and her mother, Amanda, went to a dermatologist right away. To their surprise, the doctor was far more concerned about a different spot \u2013 a smaller mole on Laura Anne\u2019s chest.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe one she biopsied started as a little freckle, then got darker and a bit raised,\u201d Laura Anne explained. \u201cTo me, it didn\u2019t look cancerous.\u201d<\/p>\n
But it was.<\/p>\n
Nine days later, while visiting her grandmom, Laura Anne got the alarming news. \u201cMy mom called and asked to speak with grandmom. Then I overheard the word \u2018cancer\u2019 and I just knew,\u201d she recalled. \u201cSo, we just stood there crying for a while. Then I stopped crying and ate some chicken nuggets. And then I went and aced my physics test.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.skincancer.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/L-page-wearing-BCC-awareness-sweatshirt_2-340x240.jpeg\")
A message from Laura Anne<\/strong><\/h3>\nIf you had told me two years ago, I would find out I had skin cancer at 16 years old, I would not have believed you. Now here I am, 18 years old and honored to share my story with you.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Read my letter<\/a><\/h3>\n <\/p>\n
A Skin Cancer Education<\/strong><\/h3>\nAfter acing physics, Laura Anne began studying up on an entirely different topic: skin cancer<\/a>.<\/p>\n![\"BCC](\"https:\/\/www.skincancer.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/Laura-Anne-Page-BCC-biopsy-340x240.jpg\")
Laura Anne’s BCC<\/p><\/div>\n
\u201cI wanted to know everything about basal cell carcinoma,\u201d she said. \u201cI was glad that I looked it up because it made me a little less scared. It also helped me be more aware of what would happen during my surgery.\u201d<\/p>\n
Laura Anne was relieved to learn that when a BCC is identified and treated early<\/a>, it is highly curable. She was happy that she paid attention to changes in her skin, spoke up quickly and sought the expertise of a dermatologist.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\nLearning the Risks
\n<\/strong><\/h3>\nLaura Anne also discovered that although BCCs are quite rare in teens, she had risk factors<\/a> for developing the disease. BCCs are most often seen in patients with light\u00a0skin types<\/a>\u00a0like hers. She also lives in the southern U.S., where UV rays<\/a> are stronger. And while Laura Anne does not sunbathe and has never used a tanning bed, she has had UV exposure, including a couple of sunburns<\/a>.<\/p>\nLaura Anne\u2019s close relatives \u2013 her grandfathers and her mom, Amanda \u2013 have had skin cancer, which is another risk factor. In fact, a year after her surgery, Laura Anne noticed a new spot on Amanda\u2019s nose, and urged her to get checked. The spot turned out to be a BCC.<\/p>\n
![\"Laura](\"https:\/\/www.skincancer.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/L-page-with-mom-grandma-sister-xmas-time-600x450.jpg\")
Laura Anne with her family. Her mother Amanda (left) has also been diagnosed with BCC.<\/p><\/div>\n
Surgery and Recovery<\/strong><\/h3>\nIn January 2021, Laura Anne had surgery to remove the skin cancer. For small, early BCCs like Laura Anne\u2019s, excisional surgery<\/a> is usually the only treatment needed.<\/p>\nHer surgeon was surprised that Laura Anne developed BCC at such an early age, since nonmelanoma skin cancers commonly occur in older adults with years of cumulative UV exposure. He suspects that a combination of light skin type, sun exposure and hereditary factors likely contributed to her BCC.<\/p>\n
\u201cLaura Anne is one of the youngest patients I\u2019ve treated for skin cancer,\u201d said Mario V. Mitkov, MD. \u201cAnd while basal cell carcinoma is a common skin cancer, it presented at an early age, in an uncommon way. It looked like a mole. We will continue to screen her regularly.\u201d<\/p>\n
After her surgery, Laura Anne suffered some discomfort for a couple of weeks; she was unable to lift anything and needed help carrying her books. Today, there is a scar where her BCC used to be, a reminder to always protect against skin cancer.<\/p>\n
Sun Protection and Early Detection<\/strong><\/h3>\nSince her diagnosis, Laura Anne has made sun protection<\/a> a habit, using sunscreen<\/a>, covering up with clothing<\/a> and wearing a hat and sunglasses<\/a> when outside.<\/p>\n
A message from Laura Anne<\/strong><\/h3>\nIf you had told me two years ago, I would find out I had skin cancer at 16 years old, I would not have believed you. Now here I am, 18 years old and honored to share my story with you.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Read my letter<\/a><\/h3>\n
<\/p>\n
A Skin Cancer Education<\/strong><\/h3>\n
After acing physics, Laura Anne began studying up on an entirely different topic: skin cancer<\/a>.<\/p>\n
Laura Anne’s BCC<\/p><\/div>\n
\u201cI wanted to know everything about basal cell carcinoma,\u201d she said. \u201cI was glad that I looked it up because it made me a little less scared. It also helped me be more aware of what would happen during my surgery.\u201d<\/p>\n
Laura Anne was relieved to learn that when a BCC is identified and treated early<\/a>, it is highly curable. She was happy that she paid attention to changes in her skin, spoke up quickly and sought the expertise of a dermatologist.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n
Learning the Risks
\n<\/strong><\/h3>\nLaura Anne also discovered that although BCCs are quite rare in teens, she had risk factors<\/a> for developing the disease. BCCs are most often seen in patients with light\u00a0skin types<\/a>\u00a0like hers. She also lives in the southern U.S., where UV rays<\/a> are stronger. And while Laura Anne does not sunbathe and has never used a tanning bed, she has had UV exposure, including a couple of sunburns<\/a>.<\/p>\n
Laura Anne\u2019s close relatives \u2013 her grandfathers and her mom, Amanda \u2013 have had skin cancer, which is another risk factor. In fact, a year after her surgery, Laura Anne noticed a new spot on Amanda\u2019s nose, and urged her to get checked. The spot turned out to be a BCC.<\/p>\n
Laura Anne with her family. Her mother Amanda (left) has also been diagnosed with BCC.<\/p><\/div>\n
Surgery and Recovery<\/strong><\/h3>\n
In January 2021, Laura Anne had surgery to remove the skin cancer. For small, early BCCs like Laura Anne\u2019s, excisional surgery<\/a> is usually the only treatment needed.<\/p>\n
Her surgeon was surprised that Laura Anne developed BCC at such an early age, since nonmelanoma skin cancers commonly occur in older adults with years of cumulative UV exposure. He suspects that a combination of light skin type, sun exposure and hereditary factors likely contributed to her BCC.<\/p>\n
\u201cLaura Anne is one of the youngest patients I\u2019ve treated for skin cancer,\u201d said Mario V. Mitkov, MD. \u201cAnd while basal cell carcinoma is a common skin cancer, it presented at an early age, in an uncommon way. It looked like a mole. We will continue to screen her regularly.\u201d<\/p>\n
After her surgery, Laura Anne suffered some discomfort for a couple of weeks; she was unable to lift anything and needed help carrying her books. Today, there is a scar where her BCC used to be, a reminder to always protect against skin cancer.<\/p>\n
Sun Protection and Early Detection<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Since her diagnosis, Laura Anne has made sun protection<\/a> a habit, using sunscreen<\/a>, covering up with clothing<\/a> and wearing a hat and sunglasses<\/a> when outside.<\/p>\n
![\"Laura's](\"https:\/\/www.skincancer.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/lauraanne-ig-post-screenshot-600x416.png\")
<\/p>\n