A Miss Universe who thought it was just a mole, a college cheerleader who loved to tan: 4 women on having melanoma

Yahoo

3 days ago

'I could have detected it earlier — I just wasn't paying attention.'
Former Miss Universe Dayanara Torres knew she had a mole on the back of her leg for years, but didn't think much about it. 'I remember people talking to me about it,' she says. 'But because it was on the back of my leg, I would forget.'
The Married to Me author finally decided to take action in 2019, when she spotted the mole and realized that it was bigger than ever. Although she was traveling at the time, she was concerned enough to make an appointment to see a doctor in Miami before heading back to her home in Los Angeles. Torres says her doctor was pretty sure it was skin cancer, but when the biopsy confirmed that she had stage 3 melanoma, she was shocked.
'I have two kids, and I was a single mom. It was tough,' Torres tells Yahoo. She had surgery on her leg to remove the mole, along with surrounding areas of skin, which left her with 77 stitches. She started radiation treatment and immunotherapy every 21 days for a year after that.
Before her skin cancer diagnosis, Torrres says she didn't know anything about melanoma. After her experience, she decided to speak out about it, regularly sharing updates on her journey on social media. 'I wanted people to know and to understand,' she says. 'Each treatment, I would post a video just to keep people aware of what they should be looking for.' Torres participated in the Melanoma Research Foundation's 'Get Naked' campaign to encourage people to get their moles checked too. 'So many Latinos started doing appointments at their dermatologist because of me speaking out about it,' she says. 'It made me feel good.'
The 50-year-old is now diligent about putting on sunscreen before leaving the house, especially on her arms and face. She's also partnered with Coolibar, a brand that makes sun-protective shirts. 'Back in 2019, during my treatment, I was always wearing Coolibar,' she says. Torres says she makes a point to wear a hat and sunglasses while outdoors, and makes sure that 'every product I put on my face has SPF too.'
Torres urges other people to see a health care provider if they spot a suspicious spot. 'I could have detected it earlier — I just wasn't paying attention,' she says. 'You should pay attention to your skin. The earlier you detect it, the better the results.'
Melanoma can be fatal
Melanoma is the most deadly form of skin cancer, but it's highly treatable if it's caught early. According to the Melanoma Research Alliance (MRA), about 90% of melanomas are caused by exposure to UV (ultraviolet light). Getting five or more blistering sunburns between 15-20 years old can also raise your risk of getting melanoma by 80%, according to the MRA. There's also a genetic component. For some people, melanoma runs in their family, or they have certain traits, like fair skin and red hair, that raise the risk of getting this type of cancer. Also worth noting: Melanoma can crop up anywhere on the body, including the eyes, scalp, nails, mouth and feet, according to the Melanoma Research Foundation.
If you've had melanoma once, you're also at a higher risk of having it again, with research suggesting an up to 10% chance of a second melanoma, Dr. Hooman Khorasani, a dermatologic and cosmetic surgeon in private practice in New York City, tells Yahoo. 'This risk underscores the importance of regular full-body skin exams and lifelong skin surveillance,' he says.
It's also why Dr. Anthony Rossi, a dermatologist and Mohs surgeon at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, always tells his patients to be 'sun smart' by wearing sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher daily, along with a hat and sunglasses. 'You don't have to be a vampire, but you shouldn't be tanning intentionally,' he tells Yahoo.
People who have had melanoma, like Torres, tell Yahoo that they're now conscientious about doing what they can to lower their risk of having cancer again — and they want to help others avoid going through the same thing.
'I had no education or experience with melanoma'
As a college cheerleader whose team was sponsored by a tanning salon, Kelly McWhinney tanned regularly in her late teens and early 20s. Like Torres, McWhinney didn't know what melanoma was or that tanning was a risk factor for developing the cancer. She was diagnosed with melanoma for the first time in 2022, followed by a metastatic form of melanoma in 2023.
'The first sign I noticed was a mole on my body that started getting bigger,' she tells Yahoo. 'When I had my recurrence, I noticed a sharp pain in my left breast that was caused by the enlarged lymph node in my armpit.'
McWhinney says she was shocked by her original diagnosis. 'I had no education or experience with melanoma and felt like I was left with no knowledge other than what the doctors told me, which at the time was very little,' she says. 'I reacted quickly by finding the best specialist in my area.'
She originally had the mole surgically removed, but a year later started having persistent chest pain. The melanoma had spread to her lymph nodes, creating a lymph node 17 times the normal size. McWhinney had it removed and started 26 rounds of immunotherapy treatment, but she had a severe reaction that changed her health.
'The treatment triggered extremely rare autoimmune complications, causing my immune system to attack my organs and resulting in medically induced hypothyroidism and type 1 diabetes,' she says. 'The cascade of treatment-related complications continued even after completing immunotherapy in July 2024, requiring removal of my gallbladder and tonsils, causing heavy menstrual bleeding and ovarian cysts and ultimately forcing me to have tubal ligation, ending my hopes for having more children.'
Now she uses sunscreen daily, rotating between Melan, Daily Shade, Sun Bum and Blue Lizard. McWhinney also wears sun-protective clothes by Watskin and Lands' End. 'I always aim for shade when outside,' she says.
McWhinney has partnered with the Melanoma Research Alliance to spread awareness of the disease and urges other people to think of getting skin checks as a vital part of their health care. 'It is a necessity. It is equally as important as a Pap or a mammogram,' she says. 'I would also love for others to understand that melanoma will never 'just' be skin cancer. It is a cancer that is quick, sneaky and shows up everywhere, including large organs. Melanoma can change your life in every single way.'
'I started having difficulty breathing'
It was Mother's Day when Juanita Taylor felt like something was wrong. 'I was sitting on the sofa and I started having difficulty breathing,' she tells Yahoo. Taylor has a history of heart issues, so she called 911.
'I went to the ER, and they couldn't find anything happening with my heart,' she says. But doctors also did a chest X-ray and discovered that there was a small shadow on the back of her chest. 'Eventually, they saw there was a mass,' she says. A biopsy revealed that she had melanoma. 'I had no outward signs. It's not normal, especially for a person of color,' Taylor says. 'The only thing I'd had previously was a cough.' (While it's not common, melanomas do start in the lungs on rare occasions.)
Taylor, who was 61 at the time, had surgery at MD Anderson Cancer Center to remove the mass, along with a portion of her lung. 'That was the only treatment I had,' she says.
Even though her melanoma was internal, Taylor says she's had friends who have had melanomas on their skin. She's now diligent about sun protection as a result. 'I try not to go out at midday,' she says. 'I have a big sun hat that I wear, even in the wintertime. It covers the upper part of my body.' Taylor also makes a point to use a body lotion with SPF that's certified by the Skin Cancer Foundation.
'Know your own body,' Taylor says. 'When I had shortness of breath, I knew the body was telling me that something was amiss.'
'I've had melanoma four times'
Nancy Stokes was first diagnosed with melanoma in 2008. She's had three more since then. Stokes tells Yahoo that she was warned she might develop melanoma after a dermatologist spotted and removed a precancerous lesion from her chest when she was in her 20s.
'I started having annual skin checks after that,' she says. While Stokes says her dermatologist has caught most of her melanomas, she spotted one on her ankle that her doctor initially cleared. 'I actually caught that one,' she says.
Stokes says she's grateful that her regular skin checks have identified these cancers early. 'The worst one I had was very early stage, but on my temple. They were worried it was going to damage my temporal nerve and the whole side of my face,' she says, noting that she went to see specialists at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center for surgery. 'Luckily, somehow it didn't,' she added.
Stokes says she's now strict about protecting her skin from the sun. 'For my daily routine, I use Elizabeth Arden Prevage face cream — that has sunscreen in it,' she says. Stokes also uses a tinted moisturizer with SPF.
'For my body, I just cover up,' she says. 'If I'm going to be in the sun, I wear a hat with an SPF liner.' Stokes also wears bathing suits with UPF sleeves (brands like Outdoor Research and Coolibar also make UPF sleeves you can wear with any outfit). And when she's at the beach, Stokes says her husband will set up an umbrella before she gets there to make sure she's in the shade as much as possible.
Stokes is also diligent about seeing a dermatologist. 'Getting your skin checked is the name of the game,' she says.
Solve the daily Crossword