Melanoma Awareness Month: You have one life to live, live it your way and live it to the fullest!

Guest blog from Candice Mason, who shares her story with stage IV melanoma and how she gives back to the community through melanoma advocacy and prevention awareness: 

My name is Candice Mason. The sun is brutal in the parched desert where I live but I am so thankful to be here today to share my cancer story with you. In 2017 I was busy working in my lab as a cancer researcher, sequencing DNA samples when the plastic surgeon who removed a freckle on the side of my nose that had slowly morphed over time called with the biopsy results. He said, “I’m so sorry but you have stage 1 superficial spreading melanoma.” Through the tears I was desperately taking notes on my next doctor referral, where to go and possible procedures so that I could start my own research.  

I felt like an oxymoron or a jumbo shrimp straight out of water, but with cancer. Following this dreaded call, I underwent my first melanoma surgery with a sentinel lymph node biopsy. The biopsy revealed micro metastasis in a single lymph node from my chin. It’s amazing how science can detect one cancer cell in a lymph node. Now at stage III, I was hoping that I would have a year to fight but one year is now turning into five after the melanoma spread to my brain, lung, spleen and pelvic wall in 2019. At that time, I was thankfully rear-ended by a young man in my hometown. Yes, you heard that correctly. A car accident saved my life. A week after the accident I went to the ER for chest pain to rule out seatbelt bruising. You guessed it: a CT scan revealed an unidentifiable lesion on my lung. I was hoping for valley fever but that test came back negative. Deep down I knew my cancer had metastasized and I called my oncologist right away. It’s not just skin cancer.  

Over the years I have survived a surreal lung biopsy, seizure, treatments, immunotherapies, double craniotomy to remove two of the three tumors on my brain, brain radiation and a lot of side effects. I’d like to think my brain and body had a tune up. Sitting in the infusion chair I decided to use my negative situation and make positive moves by starting and moving up my bucket list. So far, I’ve checked off some pretty standard bucket list items like traveling, indoor skydiving and hunting. However, the most important item checked off said list is the business I started so my brain could have a creative outlet and a fun way to promote skin cancer awareness.  

My business is called Desert Camo Apparel, and is based on desert themes where I specialize in certified UPF50+ clothing, accessories and sunscreen. Because of melanoma, I became a Certified Melanoma Educator through the Melanoma Research Foundation in 2018, an ambassador with the University of Arizona (UA) Students are Sun Safe (SASS) program through the UA Skin Cancer Institute and currently I am Royal International Miss Arizona Role Model 2022.  

It’s my passion to get out both in my local community and abroad to promote skin cancer awareness, skin cancer prevention and advocate for skin cancer patients like myself. It was an honor to take part in this year’s 2022 Melanoma Advocacy Days where I was able to advocate for more melanoma legislation. Meeting “Melahomies” (as we affectionately call ourselves within the skin cancer community) and being there for them is by far my favorite thing that I do.  

Melanoma is not fun, especially as a working mother and wife, but melanoma has become my calling, forcing me out of my comfort zone and opening so many beautiful opportunities to share my story in hopes of saving lives one skin cell and one skin check at a time. You have one life to live, live it your way and live it to the fullest! 

The MRF is committed to increasing awareness of melanoma, sun safety and how important it is to #GetNaked for a monthly self-skin check and yearly full body exam by a board certified dermatologist. Your support makes this work possible; please consider a tax-deductible gift today:

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