A 33-year-old mother was diagnosed with stage 2 melanoma after her young son noticed what she thought was a “chocolate” stain on her wrist.
Amanda Eilian of New York visited her doctor in 2010, who initially ruled out the mole. But after much “pressure” from Eilian, she finally agreed to take it off, although she continued to insist to the mother of four that it was “nothing.”
Just a day later, her doctor left her a voicemail telling her that the mole was actually melanoma, which affects approximately 100,600 Americans each year.
Ms Eilian, now 47, said: “It was a great lesson (not the way you want to learn it) – learning the importance of self-defence and taking a proactive role in your own health.”
“It takes a certain amount of self-confidence to keep pushing back and, frankly, I was lacking at the time and I still have to intentionally cultivate that knowledge that I know my body better than anyone.”
Amanda Eilian, a mother of four, first noticed the dark mole on her wrist nearly two years before her daughter noticed it, but her doctor repeatedly ruled out the spot.
Amanda Eilian (left) knew the importance of sun protection and annual visits to the dermatologist and would perform regular skin self-checks
As a light-skinned, light-eyed woman with a family history of melanoma, Ms. Eilian, co-founder and partner of health and wellness investment firm _Able and an investor who has stakes in Goop, Daily Harvest and The Wing, knew the importance of sun safety and annual visits to the dermatologist.
So when she noticed a dark spot on her wrist nearly two years before her diagnosis, she asked her doctor to check it at least twice at previous annual skin exams, but he told her it was fine several times.
She said Today: ‘I had noticed… a spot on my right wrist, an unusual spot, probably the darkest spot on my body. I later learned that (the color of the mole) was a common marker for skin cancer.
However, Mrs Eilian added: “(The doctor) dismissed it and said, ‘Don’t worry about it.'”
Finally, in 2010, her concern increased after observing her two-year-old son.
She said: “My two-year-old daughter pointed to the spot on my wrist, which I had never mentioned before, and said: ‘Chocolate, you have chocolate, mummy.’
“It was such an unusual thing for her to say it and notice it.”
The next time she visited the dermatologist, Eilian, who joined the Melanoma Research Alliance board of directors after her diagnosis, asked her to take it off.
She said: ‘He dismissed my concern again. I said, “I feel uncomfortable, please take it away.”
‘After (my) push, he took it off. But as she was taking it off, I distinctly remember him saying, “I’m telling you right now, this is nothing.”
But the next day, the doctor called Eilian to apologize and tell her that she had melanoma: “I was sorry, but it was actually something.”
The New Yorker quickly began seeing another doctor, who took a biopsy, which revealed that the melanoma was stage 2.
She said: “It was a very, very scary thing to hear when I had two young children (at the time) at home.”
Melanoma is a form of skin cancer that is less common than other types, but more dangerous, and in three percent of cases the primary source of the cancer is unknown.
The American Cancer Society estimates that 100,600 people will be diagnosed with cancer in 2024, accounting for five percent of all new cancers, and 8,300 people will die from it, accounting for 1.4 percent of deaths. for cancer.
The overall lifetime risk of getting cancer is about three percent, or one in 33 people, but the risk increases if a person has a family history of the disease.
In Ms. Eilian’s case, her grandmother and aunt had been diagnosed with melanoma, and several other people in her family had been diagnosed with less aggressive forms of skin cancer.
Rates of new melanomas vary: In people under 50, they have remained stable among women and have decreased about one percent annually in men since the early 2000s.
The five-year survival rate is 94 percent, but drops to 35 percent for melanomas that have spread.
Annual full-body dermatology skin checks are recommended, but people can perform regular self-checks at home.
When performing the exam, people should be aware of the ABCDEs of skin cancer.
Annual full-body skin checks are recommended, but people can perform regular self-checks at home. When performing the exam, people should be aware of the ABCDEs of skin cancer.
A is for asymmetry: is the mole symmetrical on all sides? Melanomas are often uneven and have halves of different sizes and shapes.
B is for border: Does the mole have clear borders? Melanomas are more likely to have irregular or jagged edges.
C is for color: Is the color the same throughout the mole? Melanomas are more likely to have multiple shades.
D is for diameter: How big is the mole? They should typically be the size of a pencil tip, and melanomas tend to be larger.
Lastly, E is for evolve: has the mole changed over time? Most benign moles stay the same year after year, but melanomas can grow in size and shape and change color over time.
Following her diagnosis, Ms Eilian underwent surgery to remove the mole, but due to its location on her wrist, doctors said it would be difficult to remove the spot while achieving wide and clear enough edges to ensure that all the cancer would disappear.
Ms Eilian told Today: “There was concern that, because of the amount of tissue they had to remove, there was a risk that I would lose some function in my hand.”
‘Thank God, I never had that problem. But the surgery was a little delicate from that point of view.
Despite the concern, the operation was a success. The surgeon was able to remove the melanoma with clear margins and was also able to preserve full function in his wrist and hand.
Ms Eilian did not need to undergo chemotherapy or any additional treatment and has had no recurrences since 2010, although she still visits the dermatologist to have her skin checked every three months.
She said: ‘I’ve been healthy. I feel very lucky.”
After her ordeal, Ms. Eilian experienced a health transformation: she ate cleaner, exercised and meditated.
She said: ‘I felt very scared. Feeling like I had some control over my own journey and my own outcomes… gave me a lot of comfort and was probably helpful in my recovery.’
While in remission, Ms. Eilian said she still had her concerns: “When you have melanoma, it’s one of the risk factors for things like breast cancer…My grandmother had breast cancer and melanoma.”
“Overall, it has made me more aware of the need to be careful with my health.”
Inspired by her own health journey, Ms. Eilian began investing in health and wellness companies to encourage people to be their own advocates and be proactive about their health.
She added: “While I would never say I know as much about melanoma or dermatology as a doctor, I do know more about my body than anyone else.”
‘Be persistent and have confidence in yourself and your own observations.’
Because a family history increases the risk of melanoma, Eilian said her children have now started undergoing skin tests, including her daughter who prompted her to re-examine her mole.
Mrs Eilian said: ‘I have to thank my daughter who is now 15 for identifying him. She saved my life.’