Melanoma / Skin Cancer Community

I can't access the video but I can answer your question. I'm 64 and have been a coffee drinker for 40 years. At least three to four cups per day as well as caffeinated colas.

I've never applied it to my skin. Wish I could access the video to watch how exactly I would do that!

I've been treated for the following:

Melanoma
Basal Cell Carcinoma
And the Actinic stuff

Sure wish the caffeine had worked for me! I do attribute my diagnoses to multiple first and second degree sunburns in my childhood.

So, for me, all the coffee didn't protect me.

Hi Millicentbash and Welcome,

Thank you for sharing your story and providing support and advice for this community!

I am also a coffee drinker and always interested to see potential benefits of coffee being touted.

If you scroll to the bottom of the page with the video, there should be a transcript listed. If it does not show up, please let me know and I can post it here.

Elizabeth

Sure wish coffee had done the trick for me! My brother has been diagnosed with squamous cell which was successfully treated and he's a huge coffee drinker as well.

I don't know if you read in one of my other posts, but my mother died of squamous cell carcinoma inside her ear that spread before it was diagnosed. She had symptoms of pain for a year but her doctor kept telling her it was 'all in her head.' And yes, indeed it was. By the time they agreed to biopsy it, it was too late.

From what I understand, it was a rare incidence to have cancer there inside the ear. My mother never drank coffee... she was Irish so of course she drank tea. All the time, all day. It was caffeinated as well, the strong stuff.

I am from a family that has a very dark sense of humor. Fatalistic famine irish and Ellis Island Irish immigrants who are able to create dark humor from catastrophic things. When my mom first was diagnosed, she joked that my father had talked her head off. Literally. We used to joke that she feigned deafness just so she could get some quiet. Now we know that the deafness was one of the early symptoms. I was thinking of her a few weeks ago when I went to a writers group. A woman I didn't know proclaimed to me that she was a 'five year survivor' of breast cancer. The skin graft and scarring on my hand is very evident. I showed it to her and told her I was a three month survivor of melanoma. She had that horrible look of pity in her eyes and it was that look of 'geez, melanoma trumps breast cancer.' So I told her that she didn't have to show me her scar. We both cracked up laughing. Then we talked about creating one of those ribbons for melanoma. I thought it should have 'abc' on it and be multi-colored. It was the first time I really felt free of the fear and could laugh about it. I know my mom would have been proud -- carrying on the tradition of laughing in the face of fear.

It's nice to have this community here. I know I will have more questions to ask.

I've read elsewhere about photodynamic therapy for actinic stuff and basal cell. Used instead of Carac cream. My skin is very tender and I am wondering if anyone has used that avenue instead?

I so get your dark sense of humor, my family has also inherited this curse

When my mom passed away, we were leaving the funeral home, my then 2 yr old daughter looked back and asked "Is grandma sleeping in the box tonight?" All I could do was say "Yep, grandma's sleeping in the box!" My sister and I broke into uncontrollable laughter and after the initial gasps everyone else began to chuckle.

I love your attitude and there have been real studies about laughter, healing and illness - Healing Through Humor !

For more response to your question about the cream, please begin a new discussion. It may grab more eyes that way.

Elizabeth