Associates in Dermatology Celebrates 35 Years this Summer
April 29, 2024
In the sunny realms of Central Florida, members of our community have unparalleled access to the great outdoors. It is, however, a blessing that comes with its own set of challenges. With heightened exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays, people have a higher risk of skin cancer diagnoses compared to other areas. For 35 years, the dedicated team at Orlando’s Associates in Dermatology has been committed to excellence in providing patient care to six Central Florida counties.
“Unfortunately many locals, especially the ones that have recently moved to Florida, are either unaware of these risks or underestimate them all together,” says Dr. Micheal Steppie Orlando Mohs cancer surgeon and medical director of Associates in Dermatology. “That’s why we're longtime advocates for educating members of the community about practicing sun safety year round and applying a broad-spectrum sunscreen every day as part of a complete sun protection strategy.”
Despite the joy of sunny days, there are serious health implications with excessive sun exposure. It has been a common misconception among younger individuals and those with darker skin tones that their risk for developing skin cancer is minimal. Recent studies suggest an alarming increase in melanoma rates among Hispanic populations over the past two decades, which underscores the fact that skin cancer does not discriminate based on age, ethnicity, or skin tone.
Decades of raising public awareness...
Since its inception in 1989, Associates in Dermatology has been at the forefront of providing exceptional dermatological care to numerous communities across Central Florida. Through both Dr. Steppie’s longstanding affiliation with the West Orange Chamber of Commerce and his commitment with ongoing sponsorship of skin cancer education for the greater Orlando area, Associates in Dermatology has long been a trusted source for information on managing sun exposure responsibly.
Shared Celebrity Battles with Skin Cancer
“You may have read our recent blog about the Bob Marley movie that follows the skin cancer shortened life of the Jamaican reggae star,” says Dr. Steppie. “His story will long serve as evidence of how dangerous and unexpected of a killer that skin cancer can be.” Bob Marley died after failing to have the recommended treatment for a rare form of toe-nail cancer called acral lentiginous melanoma.
Marley’s life was cut short because melanoma doesn’t care about the color of your skin and can hide in the most unexpected places. So if it looks suspicious always get it checked out. Listed below are just some of the notable celebrities from different generations, backgrounds and genetic makeups that have experienced skin cancer, and some at a very young age, including:
- Christie Brinkley – Recently model Christie Brinkley announced that doctors had removed basal cell carcinoma from her face. A self-admitted sun seeker, the successful entrepreneur now openly advocates for safe sun protection.
- Khloe Kardashian – Reality star Khloe Kardashian regularly shares social media posts with her followers about her skin cancers. After melanoma was removed from her back, she more recently had a tumor removed from her face.
- Jimmy Buffet – Singer and founder of the billion-dollar Margaritaville brand passed away last year from Merkel cell carcinoma, which is a rare but aggressive form of skin cancer with fewer than 3,000 cases diagnosed each year.
- Ninja – Online gamer and YouTube super star Richard Tyler Blevins (aka Ninja) shared with his many followers that he had a malignant melanoma removed from his foot. All because his wife urged him to get it checked.
- Bret Michaels – The frontman of Poison had previously had multiple skin cancers removed. But, after the loss of his long-time friend Jimmy Buffet, scheduled a skin check and was treated for a new occurrence.
- Terry Bradshaw – Hall of Fame quarterback, actor, and NFL television sports analyst Terry Bradshaw discovered a lump that turned out to be Merkel cell carcinoma and was successfully treated at MD Anderson Cancer Center.
- Richard Simmons – An overweight but energetic Richard Simmons began his career by bringing workouts to TV. After retirement, the recluse Simmons only recently confirmed the removal of skin cancer from under his eye.
- Hugh Jackman – The Wolverine himself has been a vocal advocate for regular skin exams as well as the importance of practicing sun protection. Jackman routinely shares his bouts with skin cancer with fans and followers.
- Anderson Cooper* – News journalist and popular TV entertainer Anderson Cooper appeared “on air” a few years ago wearing the tell-tale bandage over a black eye. A cancerous mole had been removed from under his left eye.
- Witney Carson – As a professional dancer on Dancing with the Stars, Witney Carson was diagnosed with melanoma when she was only 19 years old. She successfully had the cancerous mole and lymph nodes removed.
- Andy Cohen – Self-proclaimed sun worshiper Andy Cohen thanked his friend Kelly Ripa for encouraging him to have a lesion on his lip examined. Advice that may have saved the entertainer’s life, as it was melanoma.
- Diane Keaton – As an Oscar-winning actress and an advocate for practicing safe sun protection, Diane Keaton often speaks about her family’s long history with skin cancer and her squamous cell carcinoma removed at age 21.
- Teddi Mellencamp – Strictly following a three-month-checkup schedule, Teddi Mellencamp has had over a dozen melanomas removed. The star of the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills regularly posts to remind others.
*NOTE: CNN’s Anderson Cooper has shared other sun-damaging encounters with his followers. While filming a segment for CBS 60 Minutes in Portugal, he experienced a couple of days of blindness after failing to wear sunglasses with the proper UV protection while outdoors. Cooper is the son of fashion-icon Gloria Vanderbilt who had passed away from stomach cancer less than one month after being diagnosed with the disease.
Sun Smart Skin Care for You and Yours
Skin cancer is one of the few cancers that can be prevented but it requires learning the warning signs, scheduling annual skin exams and being a diligent advocate for practicing good sun protection year round. Currently, experts suggest that almost ten thousand people in the United States will be diagnosed with skin cancer every day in 2024. That means that one in five Americans are projected to develop skin cancer in their lifetime.
At Associates in Dermatology, our mission is to safeguard your family's dermatological health across all generations, from you to your children and onto your grandchildren. Given that early detection significantly improves skin cancer survival rates, we can’t over emphasize the importance of cultivating the habit of regular self-examinations within your family. In addition, Associates in Dermatology has made our clinics more accessible to where your family lives.
Dr. Steppie's extensive involvement in raising public awareness about skin health extends beyond his clinical practice. In addition to his frequent contributions to print, television and online media, he built a stellar reputation working with local hospitals and Shepherd Hope Health Centers as a provider of dermatology services. Dr. Steppie is also one of the elite dermatologists and Mohs skin cancer surgeons who have been inducted into the Skin Cancer Foundation's Amonette Circle.
Call 800-877-7546 to schedule a skin exam today at one of our convenient locations.
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Our commitment to excellence was recognized when the Accreditation Committee of the College of American Pathologists (CAP) awarded our Kissimmee laboratory with full CAP Lab accreditation, placing us among the elite 7,600 CAP-accredited facilities worldwide. "Our team's dedication ensures that a CAP-accredited lab is available to deliver top-tier anatomic pathology and dermapathology services to patient across the Greater Orlando area as well as all of our Central Florida communities," concludes Dr. Steppie.
