Laura Bush says her skin cancer was "no big deal"
Just a few weeks ago, first lady Laura Bush had a cancerous lesion removed from her right shin. It was found to be the second most common form of skin cancer, squamous cell carcinoma. When asked why she didn't say anything about it sooner, she answered simply "It's no big deal and we knew it was no big deal at the time." The lesion was about the size of a nickel, and the whole subject came up finally when somebody asked why she was wearing a bandage on her leg at a Hanukah ceremony recently.
As for her "no big deal" comment: squamous cell carcinomas are responsible for less than 0.1 percent of cancer deaths, but they are also more likely to spread to other areas of the body than basal cell (the most common form of skin cancer) and do require more follow-up monitoring.
There also seems to be some debate on whether or not she should have made the issue public sooner, and I have to side with her on this one. Getting a diagnosis of cancer is scary (whether she admits it or not), and since she's not personally an elected official (and so isn't required to disclose the same way the President is) I can't blame her for wanting to keep this to herself and close family -- at least until she knew what she was dealing with.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
12-20-2006 @ 12:25PM
saraniall said...
Here was a perfect opportunity to highlight the importance of early diagnosis and prevention. Instead, her "no big deal" comment continues to reinforce sunworshippers and tanning salon frequenters aren't doing any harm. Thanks again for the lack of leadership Laura--great job as first lady!
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12-20-2006 @ 8:57PM
Dr. Lycka said...
Laura Bush's cancer is a "big deal". While I do recognize the First Lady's need for privacy, this could be a huge benefit to highlight the importance of getting a nonhealing ulcer checked. Such a check can save a life, just like it did for Laura Bush.
Do yourself a huge favor - educate yourself about skin canceer. Know how to identify and prevent it.
We have published these on our website www.canadianskincancer.com
Dr. Bayy Lycka
President
Canadian Skin Cancer Foundation
WWW. Canadianskincancer.com
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