Slick Woods Diagnosed With Melanoma

This young model is testimony to age not always being a barrier to developing skin cancer.

---

Rihanna’s favourite model for Fenty Beauty campaigns has been diagnosed with a quite advanced melanoma. The stage 3 categorisation given to her case means the cancer has spread into, or close to nearby lymph nodes.

Catching the disease at this stage is still better than stage 4, where the cancer has spread to other organs. With modern techniques such as tailored immunotherapy and chemotherapy, stage 3 survival at 5 years is now around 70%.

We wish Slick Woods every success, being young and strong are helpful, along with the will she has to raise her recently born child. Recovery is more likely than not, although we can all take a message from her situation.

Early Intervention Matters

Spotting cancers on darker skin is not always easy, both in general and due to location. Lighter areas such as the soles of your feet, or underneath nails are likely areas, although the problem could be on the wider skin.

Self checking regularly will help and if you are able to, arrange an annual skin check with a specialist dermatologist. However problems are found, even if you are unsure, please seek professional advice as soon as possible.

Treating any skin cancer at an early stage often requires quite minimal intervention, with a cure rate approaching 100%. The passage of time changes this, to the point where guaranteeing a solution may not be viable.

This is undesirable at any age, although an exponential increase in skin cancers amongst younger people is a story of our times. Poorer outcomes on darker skin is an equal issue and can be avoided

The Relationship With Age

Skin cancers have long been viewed as a condition of age, due to a lifetime of sun exposure. That has never been entirely true and less so now, with melanoma having the highest recent increase of serious cancers in young people.

Slick Woods is just 23 years old and her story is not rare. Whatever you find on your body may not be cancer and melanoma is the least common form but being younger is not a right to exclusion.

We appreciate that unwanted symptoms could be an injury, a nail fungus, or other conditions. Just consider if you know why they occured, or if they are normal for you, above all, don’t put them out of mind.

By all means contact our staff to discuss any concerns. Cancer in darker skin is not common but not out of the question, we would be pleased to advise.