Jimmy Buffet and skin cancer.

So how many here were surprised by the death of Jimmy Buffet and the way in which he died?
How many had even heard of the type of skin cancer that caused his death?
I know that i for one had never heard the name of Merkel cell cancer.
Obviously it is a very deadly form of that disease.
Having worked outdoors my entire life ive been at least somewhat aware of skin cancer.
And with now living in Florida for several decades and coupled with my age im even more aware of it.
I have 2 yearly checkups with a Dermatologist, and they sometimes lead to more visits in order to deal with issues.
But frankly this incident has gotten my attention.
I dont ever use sun screen, as i dont like being even slightly sticky.
But i do wear proper clothing in order to cover up as much as possible, including the fingerless gloves.
And i have for the last 5 or so years been using a beach umbrella above my head.
We should all be concerned about this, and become more aware of our own health as it is related to the sun.

I've been aware of skin cancer for years now and use both sunscreen and protective clothing. My grandfather who worked outside all day had many issues throughout his life and warned us about it. Wasn't always this way when I was younger though.

I no longer work outdoors, I no longer weld as much as I used too. I am definitely concerned about skin cancer. Some of the spray on sunscreen is easy to apply and not to bad for being greasy or sticky. Definitely have some in the boat at all times

I myself just had a thing with a type of skin cancer. Fortunately, it was not the very bad type like Buffet had. Had a Mohs surgery to remove it from my neck. I have worked and played most of my 68 years outside rarely using any sunscreen. I do now and wear more protection. It seems I enjoy cloudy days more now. :biggrin. Remember friends do all you can to help prevent, we all have to face our own fate and nothing wrong with a little "taking care of yourself." :fish

I’ve battled skin cancer three times with removals on my back and one deep removal to my ribs off my flank. I always wear pants, most of the time l/s shirts, hats and sunscreen on the water. Be safe out there….

Have had Mohs three separate times so far,in addition to having multiple spots froze every visit to the Dermatologist.

This gettin' old stuff certainly is not for the faint of heart. This is a very worthwhile thread topic for sure.

When I reached the age of about 55... I started gettin' all sorts of weird growths poppin' up all over... ranging from dark spots to hard bumps, to skin tags, to moles, to crepe paper skin that seems like it bruises if you just breathe on it too hard. I too have learned through my dermatologist that with age, some of these barnacles, (seborrheic keratosis), are a common non-cancerous skin growth and are quite typical in older individuals. It is also known as seborrheic verruca, senile wart, or basal cell papilloma, although it is not related to warts or basal cell carcinoma (a type of cancer). Now, I am going on 68 years old, and I have had at least 20 of these barnacles pop up over the years and at least 10 "pre-cancerous" moles or lesions... most of which have been taken off by surgical procedures or by liquid nitrogen... and which were all said to be caused by sun exposure over the course of my life.

Most importantly, I have learned that especially with the elderly: It is essential to take every precaution to protect yourself from the harmful rays of the sun... even on cloudy days.