Upcoming event at Mercy warns of dangers of pre-prom indoor tanning

When Tiffani Trappe went to her doctor to have a mole removed, she expected nothing more than a simple procedure.

'I just went in because I had a mole that was kind of a nuisance,' she said. 'It was snagging on my necklaces and tank tops.'

But what her doctor found turned out to be much more than a nuisance.

Just two weeks after her 19th birthday, Trappe was diagnosed with stage four melanoma, the most deadly of skin cancers.

According to the American Cancer Society, skin cancer is 'by far' the most common of cancers. And while melanoma accounts for only one percent of skin cancers, it does cause a majority of the deaths.

'Melanoma is a devastating skin cancer,' said Dr. Vincent Reid, surgical oncologist and medical director of Mercy Medical Center's Hall-Perrine Cancer center in Cedar Rapids.

'In the world of cancer treatment, Melanoma is one of the most problematic diseases because we don't have a lot of treatment modalities,' he continued.

Unlike some other cancers that have multiple treatment tools in their toolbox — take breast cancer, for example, which can be treated with surgery, radiation, chemotherapy and anti-hormone therapy. But Melanoma is left with few options — chemotherapy isn't very effective and the 'gold standard' is surgery, Reid said.

It's expected that more than 87,000 new melanoma diagnoses will be made this year and just under 10,000 of those diagnosed will die. Rates have continued to rise for 30 years and the trend is expected to continue upward.

While the average age for a melanoma diagnosis is 63 years old, it is not uncommon for those younger than 30 to be diagnosed, especially young women, the American Cancer Society says.

In high school, many young women will tan before events such as prom and homecoming and as another prom season approaches, experts warn of the harmful, deadly effects of indoor tanning.

'Indoor tanning before the age of 35 increases your risk of melanoma by about 59 percent,' Reid said.

'Data shows that about 12.9 percent of high schoolers will tan in the ninth grade,' he continued. 'By the time of 12th grade, 27.2 percent of them tan.'

Not only is UV exposure in tanning beds 80 times more powerful than the sun without proper protection, he added, it's one of the most poorly regulated industries.

'When you have something dangerous and not well regulated, that presents a problem,' he said.

The effects of tanning worsen over time, but even one visit to the tanning bed will damage your skin, Reid warned.

'It damages your DNA, and unfortunately there's a lot of false information out there about indoor tanning,' he said. 'The fact of the matter is that this is a carcinogen of the level of cigarettes according to the World Health Organization and the American Cancer Society. There's no good way to do bad.'

Trappe, an avid tanner in her youth, never expected her visits to the tanning salon would cost her.

'Like any other girl, I wanted to be tan because that was the pretty thing — for prom, homecoming, vacations. I had to be tan,' she said. 'My sister worked in a tanning facility, so I was in there every day.'

'It's addictive,' Reid said. 'And young people believe in their own immortality. They don't think about this stuff unless they're personally impacted.'

When Trappe received her diagnosis, she thought: 'This is not happening, this is not my plan.'

She remembers standing up, walking to her car and driving around, crying and shocked. Not only did she have cancer, but it had spread to her blood stream and lymphatic system.

'I let it go too long because I didn't know,' she said. 'Awareness wasn't a huge thing then.'

Trappe ended up having multiple surgeries to remove affected skin, as well as a partial lymphadenectomy. For six months, she needed a feeding tube and today she's left with scars on her back, arm, stomach and foot.

'It's not worth it,' Trappe said of tanning. 'It's really not. If you have it in your head that you have to be tan to be pretty, you don't. ... The end results aren't worth it. It might look great for that one night but not in the long term. I really wish there was somebody to tell me that when I was in high school because I had no clue.'

Trappe's cancer is now dormant and has been since 2009, but the 26-year-old doesn't know 'when it's going to rear its ugly head again,' she said. 'I still get intense anxiety when I have to go in to the doctor for anything.'

Although doctors suggested she go through chemotherapy and radiation, Trappe declined the added treatments.

'They said it was dormant and it wasn't necessarily going to fix it. I figured that I didn't want to get more sick,' she said. 'I want to live my life to the fullest.'

IF YOU GO

What: Experts offer tips on looking great for prom — without tanning

When: Sunday, Jan. 29, 2-4 PM.

Where: Mercy Medical Center's Hall-Perrine Cancer Center

Cost: Free

Details: This pre-prom event is aimed at keeping young people from tanning, especially as prom season approaches. Local skin care survivor, Tiffani Trappe, will share her story of battling melanoma and Dr. Vincent Reid, medical director of Hall-Perrine Cancer Center and surgical oncologist will provide skin care education. The event also will include hair, makeup and sunless tanning tips and a fashion show highlighting trending dress styles. Register by calling (319) 861-7798 or emailing larens@mercycare.org.

l Comments: (319) 398-8364; elizabeth.zabel@thegazette.com