Linda Brown

Survival and Triumph -
The Linda Brown Story

"You have cancer."

Imagine hearing those alarming words.

For Linda Brown, vice president of Clinical and Support Services for Unity Health Center in Shawnee, those words came at the young age of 28. Diagnosed with melanoma cancer, Linda was given a 20 percent chance of survival.

"In the early '80s, the survival rates for melanoma were pretty scary because it was being diagnosed in late stages, and a lot of times too late," said Linda.

Melanoma cancer is caused mainly by ultraviolet (UV) rays from the sun. The UV rays damage DNA, a gene's genetic material, causing the skin's cells to lose the ability to divide and grow normally. If severe enough, the cells grow uncontrollably and form a mass or tumor. If the tumor spreads to surrounding tissues, it is considered cancerous.

"I noticed my first cancerous mole on my leg. It was red, raised and itching a lot, and felt like it was 'underneath' my skin. My second mole was black. Another one that was brown in color. It didn't really appear to look too abnormal, but it turned out to be malignant." Just as Linda was, people need to be aware of their own bodies and take special care in looking for abnormal growths by following the ABCD's of malignant melanoma:

Example of Melanomas

» Asymmetry - When one half of the growth has a different shape than the other
» Border irregularity - When the growth has scalloped or uneven edges
» Color varied - When the growth is more than one color. Melanomas may be black, shades of brown and tan or even have specks of red, white and blue.
» Diameter - A size bigger than the diameter of a pencil eraser

"I have a very light complexion with lots of freckles. I would burn and never tan. I had two major sunburns growing up," said Linda.

Skin cancer can develop in anyone, but the American Cancer Society says those with a higher risk include: People with fair complexions, light or red hair or blue eyes People who continually expose their skin to the sun People who occasionally expose their skin to the sun (weekends) People with many moles and/or irregularly shaped moles Those with family or personal history of skin cancer One serious sunburn can increase the risk of skin cancer by 50 percent, according to the National Cancer Institute. "As I sat in the doctor's office and was told that I would have to have surgery, requiring a portion of my skin to be removed around the mole, I thought, 'OK, I can deal with this,'" said Linda.

"Then, his parting comment was, 'Oh, by the way, you will have chemotherapy for a year.'" Those words rang through her ears. Linda was in graduate school; her husband Paul was preparing to graduate. Their plans for a family would have to be delayed at least five years. The news was devastating. "I really never thought that there were any options," Linda said. "I relied constantly on my faith." A short nine months later, a second malignant melanoma surfaced and Linda began a chemotherapy regimen. Then a third recurrence and a change in treatment. After two years, she finished treatment and has been cancer free for 17 years, 20 years from first diagnosis. "I believe that having a cancer diagnosis allowed me to see the need to rely more on my faith. I never doubted that God has a plan for my life," said Linda.

"I have had the opportunity to speak to others and I truly believe we have to make wise decisions.

"Besides attempting to stay healthy through proper nutrition and exercise, I take sun precautions every day of my life," said Linda. "But I do not allow my history to keep me from living." The powerful disease ultimately controls some situations, but those can be a blessing in disguise. "While Paul and I wanted to have a family, we just kept getting delayed because of the need to be 'cancer-free' for five years before I could become pregnant. Also, mole changes were triggered by hormones and pregnancy would dump a ton of hormones into my body, triggering a lot of changes," Linda said. "After researching, consulting physicians and a lot of prayer, we opted for permanent sterilization five years later. Even though it was a difficult decision to make for us, I felt very at peace with that change in my life.

"A few years later we decided to pursue adoption and on our 15th wedding anniversary we adopted a precious little boy that God placed into our lives. And my now 9-year-old son, Heath, knows the routine for sunscreen when he starts playing outside." It is important to begin preventive measures early in life. According to the National Cancer Institute, studies show that avoiding sunburns, especially in childhood and adolescence, may reduce the incidence of skin cancer. Most people receive a majority of their lifetime sun exposure before the age of 18. There are many ways to decrease the risk of sunburn ó reducing the time you spend outdoors, particularly during the high-intensity, UV radiation time from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., wearing protective clothing when exposed to the sun for extended periods of time and sunscreen, sunscreen, sunscreen! "Balance in life is what we should strive for and excess of anything, even wonderful sunshine, can be harmful," said Linda. "I do not believe I will ever know why this has happened to me, but I believe that God uses it for good all the time."

Amy Reese writes on health issues for Waddell-Pointer & Associates of Oklahoma City.