Mayor Cautions That Tanning Is Beyond the Pale

Mayor Paul Yost was given a scare last summer when a lesion on his chest was diagnosed as melanoma. Fortunately for Yost, who loves ocean sports and the sun, an examination by another doctor proved the diagnosis wrong.

The quarter-inch growth was not a symptom of the disease caused primarily by excessive sun exposure and it was not cancerous. However, shortly afterward, Yost was given a second scare that made him look at melanoma as a serious threat to himself and others.

A close family friend, who provided day care for his children, died in October at age 52 from melanoma cancer. Yost felt close to the Seal Beach woman known for her loving way of providing child care.

“That was pretty spooky,” said Yost, who is an anesthesiologist at St. Joseph Hospital and Children’s Hospital of Orange County, both in Orange. Her death “really hit close to home.”

During the same period of his enlightenment to the disease, Yost was approached by some of his medical colleagues. They urged him to get involved in creating more public awareness. They told him that in his position as mayor he could do more on the political front in changing public perception.

He recently proclaimed May ‘Melanoma Month’ in Seal Beach and plans to discuss the disease at conferences in May and June, and on a local cable TV show April 27. Yost said he would like to get the message out that “tans are not healthy and that one’s own natural skin color is beautiful.’

Each year, more than 35,000 people in the U.S. are diagnosed with melanoma. Orange County has one of the highest incidence of melanoma in the country, according to the National Cancer Institute.

Cancer experts say exposure to the sun during childhood is the leading risk factor in acquiring melanoma.

Considering that many Orange County residents are sun worshipers, Yost may have his work cut out for him when trying to dissuade the tanned look.

Yost, 40, like many native Californians, had many family trips to the beach as a youngster and was oblivious to the sun’s dangers.

“We used to see who could have their nose peel [from sunburn] the fastest,” said Yost, whose family had a beach house in Santa Cruz. “I just wasn’t very bright.”

Yost has never wandered far from the ocean and outdoor activity. He sailed competitively in his teens and has been surfing for 20 years and windsurfing for 10 years.

Asked if he would be giving warnings to sunbathers as he strolls the beach only a few blocks from his home, Yost smiled and said his campaign will be directed at local officials and community leaders.

He hopes other cities will proclaim next month Melanoma Month, and he plans to alert the public to the disease’s sobering statistics and how countries such as Australia have lowered melanoma rates by changing perceptions.

“In Australia, a suntan is no longer desirable,” he said. “Sun exposure is viewed as dangerous.”

Alex Murashko can be reached at (714) 966-5974.