Melanoma Surgeon and Survivor Has Two Words For You: Get Checked!

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif., Aug. 5, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Dr. Travis Kidner, a surgical oncologist at the Rox Cancer Center who recently survived a Stage I melanoma, has two words of advice: if you started tanning at a young age, "get checked!"

In an first-person Op-Ed published by the Los Angeles Times today (http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-kidner-melanoma-20130805,0,7465491.story or http://goo.gl/rdVIjL), Dr. Travis Kidner, who specializes in Breast and Melanoma surgery, tells the story of finding himself at the same operating table where he has removed so many cancers from others. In an emotional and science-based plea, he also urges the FDA to tighten the regulations on tanning beds, adding warning labels to prevent young people from using them.

"As a surgical oncologist, I'm usually the one delivering the bad news. But this time I was the recipient," wrote Dr. Kidner.

Melanoma is the fastest growing cancer in the United States and can strike men and women of all ages, all races, and skin types. The lifetime risk of developing melanoma is one in fifty, with nearly 77,000 Americans being diagnosed with the disease this year alone; sadly, it accounts for 75% of deaths from all forms of skin cancer.

"Research has shown that just one indoor tanning session increases the user's chances of developing melanoma by 20%, and each additional session during the same year boosts the risk almost another 2%. One study found that when people first used a tanning bed before the age of 35, they increased their risk for melanoma by 75%," wrote Dr Kidner. The FDA is currently considering a proposal to tighten the regulations on tanning beds, and comments are due on August 7^th.

"Melanoma is the deadliest form of skin cancer and the number of cases is increasing every year. Once rare among young people, it is now the second most common kind of cancer for people under 30," stated Dr. Travis Kidner, a Surgical Oncologist at the Rox Cancer Center, of which Dr. Andrew Ordon of the hit TV show "The Doctors" is a partner. "When detected in the early stages, as mine was, melanoma is a highly treatable disease; however the five-year survival rate for melanoma that has traveled to distant organs is only 15%. At the Rox Cancer Center we are dedicated to providing a personalized approach to cancer screenings and surgical care," added Dr. Kidner.

About Dr. Travis Kidner
Dr. Kidner is a Surgical Oncologist and a General Surgeon certified by the American Board of Surgery. He completed an undergraduate degree in Biological Sciences, Chemistry and Pre-Medicine at Ohio University in Athens, Ohio. He then went to the University of Cincinnati where he obtained a medical degree. Dr. Kidner discovered a passion for the care of cancer patients while working in the research laboratories at the University of Cincinnati. Upon completion of his medical degree, Dr. Kidner began his General Surgery training at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. After two years of training, he was accepted into the Research Fellowship Program at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City. While in New York, Dr. Kidner worked alongside the world¹s experts in cancer treatment and new research. He then completed his General Surgery training at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California. Dr. Kidner was then accepted into the Surgical Oncology Fellowship training program at the John Wayne Cancer Institute in Santa Monica, California. While there he perfected his surgical skills and trained alongside medical and radiation oncologists to provide a multidisciplinary approach in the treatment of cancer. Dr. Kidner practices in the Beverly Hills area, specializing in all types of Surgical Oncology with a focus on the surgical care of Breast Cancer and Melanoma patients.

For further information, contact Jenny Gittler at 310.275.5074 or Dr. Travis Kidner at http://roxcancercenter.com or [email protected].

Contact:
Travis Kidner, MD
Rox Cancer Center
465 North Roxbury Drive, Suite 1001
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 310.275.5074
Fax:  310.861.1436

Web site: http://roxcancercenter.com 

SOURCE Rox Cancer Center