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Page 14 avvya yavvy eniiooravvy S iorn or vvy io Is Skin Cancer Hereditary? Dear Savvy Senior, Is skin cancer hereditary? My 63-year-old brother died of melanoma last year, and I’m wondering if I’m at higher risk. Younger Sister Dear Younger, While long-term sun exposure and sunburns are the biggest risk factors for melanoma – the deadliest form of skin cancer – having a sibling or parent with melanoma does indeed increase your risk, according to the Skin Cancer Foundation. Each year, around 100,000 Americans are diagnosed with melanoma, and about 7,500 people will die from it. While anyone can get it, those most often diagnosed are Caucasians, age 50 and older. And those with the highest risk are people with red or blond hair, blue or green eyes, fair skin, freckles, moles, a family history of skin cancer and those who had blistering sunburns in their youth. Skin Exams The best way you can guard against melanoma and other skin cancers (basal and squamous cell carcinomas) is to protect yourself from the sun, and if you’re over age 50, get a full-body skin exam done by a dermatologist every year, especially if you’re high risk. Self-examinations done every month or so is also a smart way to detect early problems. Using mirrors, check the front and backside of your entire body, including the tops and undersides of your arms and hands, between your toes and the soles of your feet, your neck, scalp and buttocks. Be on the lookout for new growths, moles that have changed, or sores that don’t heal, and follow the ABCDE rule when examining suspicious moles. • Asymmetry: One half of a mole doesn’t match the other. • Border: The border is blurred or ragged. • Color: The mole has uneven colors, often shades of brown, tan or black, with patches of pink, red, white or blue. • Diameter: The lesion is new or at least a quarter inch in diameter. • Evolving: The mole is changing in size, shape or color. For more self-examination tips and actual pictures of what to look for, see SpotSkinCancer.org or use a skin cancer detection app like Miiskin.com, MoleMapper.org or SkinVision.com. In the spring and summer, there are also a variety of places that off er free skin cancer screenings, like the American Academy of Dermatology (spotskincancer.org) and the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery (asds.net/skincancerscreening.aspx), which off er screenings done by volunteer dermatologists across the U.S. Sun Protection Even though you can’t change your skin or family history, there are some proven strategies that can help you protect yourself. For starters, when you go outside put-on broad-spectrum SPF 30, water-resistant sunscreen on both sunny and cloudy days. If you don’t like the rub-on lotions, try the continuous spray-on sunscreens which are easier to apply and re-apply and less messy. Also, seek the shade when rays are most intense – between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. You can also protect your skin by wearing a wide-brimmed hat, and long sleeves and pants when possible. The best clothing options are tightly woven fabrics that help prevent the sun’s rays from reaching your skin, or you can wash in an invisible shield sun protection into your clothes with SunGuard laundry additive (see sunguarduv.com). You can even buy a variety of lightweight clothing and hats that off er maximum UV protection in their fabric. Coolibar.com and SunPrecautions.com are two good sites that off er these products. Treatments If caught early, melanoma is nearly 100 percent curable. But if it’s not, the cancer can advance and spread to other parts of the body where it becomes hard to treat and can be fatal. Standard early treatment for melanoma is surgical removal. In advanced cases, however, immunotherapies and targeted therapies have shown positive results, or chemotherapy and radiation may be used. Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book. iori by Jim Miller THE MALDEN ADVOCATE–Friday, June 24, 2022 BHRC | FROM PAGE15 U.S. state. lution mitigation, broadband services and more, providing incalculable benefi ts to the residents of Massachusetts," said Senate President Karen Spilka (D-Ashland). “Today’s passage of the [bill] will support a strong future for our commonwealth through critical infrastructure and information technology investments in areas like public higher education, cybersecurity, state building decarbonization and much more,” said Sen. Michael Rodrigues (D -Westport), Chair of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means. “This legislation represents the Senate’s commitment to ensuring that our commonwealth’s institutions are modernized while continuing to responsibly steward our state’s fi scal health and strengthening our reputation as a good place to do business.” said Sen. Nick Collins (D-Boston), Senate Chair of the Committee on Bonding, Capital Expenditures and State Assets. There were 174 amendments filed by members, many of which were offered by legislators for projects in their own district. Members pitched their amendments behind closed doors. In the end, there was debate on only a few individual amendments while most were bundled into two mega-consolidated amendments and approved or rejected on a voice vote without a roll call. The “Yes” mega-amendments included 127 amendments while the “No” ones included 18 amendments. The House passed its own version of the package on May 19. A House-Senate conference committee will likely hammer out a compromise version that will then be sent to the governor. ALLOW DRIVER’S LICENSE FOR UNDOCUMENTED/ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS (H 4805) – The House and Senate held a ceremonial bill signing for legislation that would allow, starting July 1, 2023, undocumented/illegal immigrants to apply for a Massachusetts standard driver’s license. The governor had vetoed the bill and the House and Senate overrode the veto—making it impossible to hold a signing of the bill by the governor. The legislation requires an applicant “without legal presence” in the United States to provide the Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) with a foreign passport and at least one of fi ve other documents: a driver's license from another state, a foreign driver's license, a birth certifi - cate, a foreign national identifi - cation card or a marriage certificate or divorce decree from any “I cannot sign this legislation because it requires the Registry of Motor Vehicles to issue state credentials to people without the ability to verify their identity,” Baker had said in his veto message. “The Registry does not have the expertise or ability to verify the validity of many types of documents from other countries. The bill also fails to include any measures to distinguish standard Massachusetts driver’s licenses issued to persons who demonstrate lawful presence from those who don’t.” "[This] is a piece of legislation I have been proud to colead on since I fi rst entered the Senate," said Sen. Adam Gomez (D-Springfi eld). “As a proud Puerto Rican … and the state senator for a district that is rich in diversity, I know that this bill will benefi t generations of families across the commonwealth. Our state is rich in culture and has a deep-rooted sense of community. The Senate further affirmed their commitment to protecting all families, regardless of status, by overriding the governor’s veto of this bill and enacting it into law.” “We are a nation of immigrants, and our commonwealth continues to be profoundly and positively shaped by immigrants from all over the world,” said Senate President Karen Spilka (D-Ashland). “They deserve to be able to safely get to work and school, care for their families and participate in the lives of their communities. I am thrilled that the Legislature has voted to override Gov. Baker’s veto on this measure, which supports families, improves public safety and is good for our economy.” In the meantime, “Fair and Secure Massachusetts,” a group attempting to repeal the new law, is collecting signatures to put the issue on the November state ballot to let voters decide whether to repeal the law or let it go into eff ect in July 2023. To get the question on the ballot, supporters must collect 40,120 signatures by August 24. SEXUAL ASSAULT UNDER FALSE MEDICAL REPRESENTATION (H 1661) – The House approved and sent to the Senate a bill that makes it a criminal off ense when a medical or healthcare professional induces a patient to engage in sexual intercourse or touching by falsely representing that the act is necessary for a legitimate medical purpose. The measure adds sections to the existing rape and indecent assault and battery statutes to criminalize behavior by medical professionals where there has been a fraudulent representation of the necessity and propriety of conduct and adds these crimes to the law on the statute of limitations for other sexual assaults. Supporters said that under existing law the offender cannot be criminally punished. “I am pleased that my colleagues in the House voted to pass [the bill] as it will establish protections for vulnerable patients and criminalize medical or healthcare professionals who knowingly and falsely claim sexual contact for a medical purpose,” said sponsor Rep. Kate Hogan (D-Stow). “This legislation provides necessary updates to Massachusetts' sexual assault laws.” MASSACHUSETTS COALITION OF POLICE (H 2163) – The House gave initial approval to a measure that would allow members of the Massachusetts Coalition of Police to be paid when attending executive board meetings of their group without having to use accrued time off for their absence. Supporters said that current law allows for members of the Massachusetts Police Association, a fraternal organization, to be excused from duty while attending executive board meetings. “The Massachusetts Coalition of Police is the largest police union in the commonwealth,” said sponsor Rep. Jessica Giannino (D-Revere). “Currently, [its] executive board members must use accrued time off from their departments to attend executive board meetings. This bill affords the same courtesy as those in other organizations in being excused from duty to conduct this important business.” QUOTABLE QUOTES “The Senate stands in recess subject to the call of the chair. We’ll come back when we feel like it.” ---Sen. William Brownsberger (D-Belmont) adding a little humor to the Senate session. “The gang’s all here.” ---Gov. Baker upon the arrival ofhis counterparts Senate President Karen Spilka and House Speaker Ron Mariano for a joint press conference with reporters. “Logan is one of the nation’s busiest airports and its workers provide invaluable assistance in order to get passengers where they need to be. Raising the minimum wage is a victory for these workers and one they very much deserve. This decision is not only a step in the right direction for the airBHRC | SEE PAGE 15

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