Former Cincinnati Reds catcher in
Major League Baseball Hall of Famer
Johnny Bench spent many years in the
sun while playing At the age of 64,
he was diagnosed with basal cell carcinoma,
the most common type of
non Melanoma skin cancer.
It was diagnosed a second time just
last year during a routine visit.
Today he's joined by a leading
board certified dermatologist,
Marissa Perez to talk about
getting real about skin cancer.
Thanks to you both so much
for joining us today. Dr.
Perez, what is non Melanoma,
skin cancer or NMSC and how common is it?
Well, non Melanoma skin cancer.
Is that the leading form of
cancer in the United States.
Over 5,000,000 are diagnosed
on a yearly basis.
They compose 2 main components
is basal cell carcinoma.
Uncutaneous squamous cell carcinoma,
both of which are totally curable
by surgery if diagnosed early,
but if they are left uncontrolled
and under diagnosed, they can invade,
go deeper and travel.
Therefore our aiming here is to
try to prevent show prevention.
Early diagnosis so that we will not have
to treat disease in an advanced stage.
Therefore,
go visit your board certified
dermatologist on an animal basis
and do self skin exam regularly
so that you will know your spots.
Who is at risk for this type of skin cancer?
If you read the literature,
it's going to tell you that
it's people with light skin,
light hair, light eyes.
And lots of sun exposure because
the sun is the one that causes the
mutations that induce the cancer.
However, people of color can
also develop a squamous cell
cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma.
Usually more covered areas on areas of scars,
genitalia under the nails and so therefore
we advise for everyone to go visit
your board certified dermatologist.
Nobody is expended from the disease.
Johnny, you've had a long and
successful baseball career filled
with so many accomplishments.
But many years ago you
were diagnosed with MNSC.
How did you actually first discover it?
Well, I actually had been in to
see my eye doctor and just for an
examination and saw he saw blisters.
And the blisters had come in
and gone a couple of times.
I'd sort of popped them and like,
I wouldn't let him worried about it.
And he said you need to
see your dermatologist.
I immediately went to the dermatologist.
They did a biopsy,
found out it was BCC.
And had it.
I had it removed through most
surgery and then I've continued to
see my dermatologist twice a year,
not only twice, once more,
but actually another time.
That just happened recently
when I found or he found a spot
underneath on my chest here and
all of a sudden I'm in for another
biopsy for another surgery.
But they caught it early and I think
if Doctor Perez will tell you and she
was mentioning if they detected early,
it is treatable.
And so I'm asking everyone to
let go to the website Let's
get real about skincancer.com.
Let's get real about skincancer.com
and we'll ask you to make a pledge,
meaning please see a dermatologist
and and on that website you will
find dermatologist in your area.
You'll find out more information.
You'll find out about what to look
for in self examination or have one
of your spouse or somebody look at an
area that you may be concerned with.
But.
I know early detection is the real
key to this because 5 million people.
I think that is low compared to
what if people really got out
to see their dermatologist,
what the numbers would actually be.
So looking back, would you
have protected your skin
from dangerous sun exposure?
And then what advice do
you have for other people?
Well, sun protection obviously.
I wear big hats, I wear sunglasses.
I'm finding out from Dr. Perez.
That sometimes all these long sleeve
shirts and everything else don't always
give you the protection you need.
You still need to apply skin cream.
You need different those sunscreen
underneath of that because what
was you saying Doctor Perez? 5% on
the sun protection factor of
a regular cotton shirt is SPF
of five and when is what is 2.
So therefore you need to really buy.
Materials that have aspia
factor of 50. Think about
all that baby oil and iodine you used
back then or when you were younger when
you were doing it and you were out there
skiing and you were always doing it.
And now they want the the smallest
bikini they can find and how we
want the smallest Speedo and we
can do it and all we're doing is,
you know as we get age.
But don't think Doctor Perez will tell
you that by the time you're 18 you've
already done the damage most of it.
But I've obviously.
If we're exposed every day and we're going
out there boating and everything else,
just be just be cautious.
Lay in the shade a little bit,
Get the protection, put your sunscreen on.
All the things that you need to do.
Go to let's get real about skin
cancer and make that pledge,
but get smarter about what
we know about cancer.
All right. Thanks to you
both so much. Thank you.