Melanoma survival: local woman says she’s “lucky”

May fourth served as melanoma Monday, kicking off skin cancer awareness month.

Statistics from the American Cancer Society show that this year more than 1,4000 new cases of melanoma are expected to be diagnosed in Maryland and approximately 180 Marylanders will die from melanoma.

Delmar native Lisa Tilghman was diagnosed in 2006 with aggressive malignant melanoma.  She sought treatment right away and considers herself one of the lucky ones. She’s been cancer -free for nine years now.

Tilghman says the memory of hearing the diagnosis from her doctor still motivates her.

She continues, “It took hearing those words to be my wake-up call. I’m like okay I don’t ever want to hear those words again. Wear the sun block, a hat, you know long sleeves if you can. If not, put the sun block on.”

The American Cancer Society has a campaign called “Slip, Slop, Slap, and Wrap.” The say this summer slip on a shirt, slop on sunscreen, slap on a hat, and wrap on sunglasses to protect yourself from skin cancer.