Skin Checking Behaviours, Taking a Pro-Active Approach, and the Power of the Selfie

Let’s talk about behaviour.  An extremely large number of people who know the realities of Melanoma are readily and regularly performing skin checks and visiting their doctors.  Many, however, do not expect skin cancer to affect them at all. MASScot wants to encourage a pro-active approach to potential Skin Cancers, as early diagnosis is absolutely…

#DrawingOfTheWeek! By Zain

MASScot have taught sun safety to 17,000 children across Scotland.  This little guy, drawn by Zain, has so much personality he could be the MASScot Mascot! What a cool piece of #SunSmartArt. #SLIPSLAPSLOPSLIDESLURP

Getting Through MRI Scans with Mary Elizabeth Williams

Manhattan-based waffle maker and red-shoe buyer Mary Elizabeth Williams has written for the Guardian on her experiences with Metastatic Melanoma. In this article, she describes the pain and anxiety involved in having an MRI: “If you’d like to replicate the sensation of what my MRIs feel like, I suggest putting a large metal pot over your…

‘The Waiting Game’ and ‘TMI’ (CureToday.com)

Barbara Tako has written this article on curetoday.com, about a very common struggle with Cancer sufferers – waiting.  She describes her worries about previously having breast cancer, and her suspicions of friends suffering from ‘TMI’ – Too Much Information. This leads her to describe her worries when talking about her second Cancer diagnosis –  Melanoma: How…

XL and Be Well at New College Lanarkshire: FakeBake ✌️☀️

MASScot were so excited to be invited back to XL and B Well at New College Lanarkshire this year.  It was so beneficial for us to be raising awareness in young people, especially in the company of therapists, medical professionals – and of course the ladies at Fake Bake.  We’ll be posting all about our experiences here! As you…

XL and B Well at New College Lanarkshire: Scottish Reiki

MASScot were so excited to be invited back to XL and B Well at New College Lanarkshire this year.  It was so beneficial for us to be raising awareness in young people, especially in the company of therapists, medical professionals – and of course the ladies at Fake Bake.  We’ll be posting all about our experiences here! Near…

Dysplastic Nevi or “Ugly Ducklings” 🐣🔍

We’ve talked about the Ugly Duckling Method  of checking your moles – that if one mole is different from the rest of your moles, it’s worth having the mole checked by your doctor.  However it’s important to remember that abnormal moles, which may even meet with ABCDE criteria, do not always equal Melanoma. Atypical moles…

Sunday Haiku from Pulse

MASScot are passionate about patient experience: we collaborate with researchers by providing information, from a personal viewpoint, on Melanoma patients’ needs.  We also regularly share stories from Melanoma and Skin Cancer patients – this is not only for the purpose of sharing the potentially helpful ways in which people cope, but also to raise awareness…

A Tan is Your Body Trying to Protect Itself

“Tans form as a result of damage to the skin by ultraviolet (UV) radiation. When our skin is exposed to the sun we begin to produce melatonin, a dark pigment, to act as a protective layer. This pigment is known as a tan, but is really displaying that your body is trying to protect itself…

Preventing Skin Cancer from Coming Back (from Harvard Health)

The fear of skin cancer returning has been described as life changing by those who experience it. Here’s Harvard Health on steps we can take to try and prevent skin cancer (and other ailments) from re-occurring. If you’re struggling to cope with worries about Skin Cancer, call our support line and talk patient to patient…