Meghan Rothschild Patient Profile

Meghan Rothschild of Wilbraham, Mass., hated the signs of her Irish heritage -- her fair skin and red hair. So, when she came back from vacation looking somewhat darker, the 17-year-old decided to maintain that color by visiting a tanning salon. Meghan enjoyed tanning so much that she used tanning beds once a week for twenty minutes - even during the summer. She kept her weekly appointments for two and a half years.

"I wanted to be less pale and look more like everyone else," she said. "While my skin couldn't get real dark, it was my version of tan. Definitely darker than I was."

Meghan's mom warned her of the dangers of using tanning beds, but Meghan decided to go anyway. "I would lie to my mom about why my face was red and tell her I tried out a new cleanser. I also ignored warnings from my friends."

Just three years after she started tanning, Meghan was diagnosed with stage II melanoma at the age of 20. It was discovered when she showed an itchy, dark mole on her stomach to her doctor during a routine physical. A surgeon later removed the mole and put stitches in her stomach. When Meghan came back to have the stitches removed the college sophomore learned she had skin cancer - a diagnosis she wasn't expecting.

"I went to the doctor by myself, and I panicked when I received the diagnosis," she said. "I was so distraught my parents ended their vacation early to come back home to be with me."

Meghan's diagnosis started a month of non-stop doctor's appointments which led up to a three-hour surgery on Valentine's Day 2004 in which a portion of the skin on her stomach and eight lymph nodes under both arms were removed. Thankfully, tests showed the cancer hadn't spread, but Meghan still had to recover from the surgery that left her with 70 stitches in her stomach and a 5-inch scar.

Meghan said the next year was tough for her as she blamed herself for her illness. "There's no doubt in my mind that my indoor tanning caused my skin cancer. I wasn't a beach baby. I knew indoor tanning was bad for me. I knew what I was doing to my body, but I always thought it wouldn't happen to me."

Now 25 and a young professional, Meghan has turned her experience into her life's mission - increasing awareness of skin cancer through a variety of means, including speaking to teenagers and young adults. Her advice: "Stay away from tanning beds. Don't live your life hibernating. You can have fun in the sun if you protect your skin by wearing sunscreen and covering up. And, be sure to visit a dermatologist once a year for a skin exam."

Meghan still visits her dermatologist regularly to make sure any suspicious moles are watched and removed, if necessary. Since her original diagnosis, Meghan has had more than 20 questionable moles removed. She also protects herself from ultraviolet radiation damage by wearing sunscreen every day.

"I want people to understand how serious skin cancer is," she said. "I had drainage tubes in me. I couldn't lift anything over 20 pounds for six months. I'm fortunate my skin cancer was diagnosed before it was too late. Make sure you see a dermatologist if you notice anything changing, growing or bleeding on your skin."