Norah O’Donnell shares how her health priorities changed after being diagnosed with melanoma.
As the anchor of The CBS Evening News, Norah O’Donnell is the #1 most-watched woman on TV news in America. With her two-year anniversary as the CBS anchor coming up in July, Norah is taking advantage of her high-profile position to get the word out about melanoma, the dangerous skin cancer she was diagnosed with almost five years ago. She recently talked to My Hometown Health to share the lessons that experience taught her and why she believes women across the United States need to reimagine their relationships with their healthcare providers.
When were you diagnosed with melanoma?
It was Thanksgiving 2016. I was shopping during Black Friday and got an email from my dermatologist, Dr. Elizabeth Hale, saying the results of the biopsy had come back and we needed to talk. I immediately forwarded the email to my sister, who’s a surgeon. She thought it was probably basal cell or squamous cell, two of the most common forms of skin cancer. Still, I was wondering: Why is my dermatologist calling me over the Thanksgiving holidays?
When Dr. Hale told me it was melanoma, I was stunned. I knew that melanoma is incredibly dangerous and a leading cause of cancer death in young women. Fortunately, we had caught the cancer very early. It was Stage 0, meaning it was only located on the epidermis, the most superficial layer of skin.
What was the treatment?
I had surgery right at the beginning of 2017. Dr. Hale removed a section of skin three inches long from the upper left corner of my back. It took 25 stitches. It’s a big scar, but I wear it proudly as a reminder that early prevention saves lives. And that’s the lesson I want to share. Melanoma is highly preventable. It accounts for only one percent of skin cancer, but’s it’s responsible for the large majority of skin-cancer deaths. That’s the reason having a regular skin-cancer exam is important. If I had waited a few more months before having my skin checked, the outcome could have been much different, even tragic.
Were you aware of the risk factors for melanoma before your diagnosis?
Yes, I knew I was at risk. I’m fair skinned, and there’s a history of skin cancer in my family. Growing up in Texas, I was always outside. We had a pool in the backyard, and I remember getting a lot of sunburns when my skin would peel. I hate to admit it, but in high school, I went to a tanning salon. When I told Dr. Hale that she said that people who have an indoor tan before age 35 have a 75 percent increased chance of melanoma. Some research says that more people develop skin cancer from tanning than develop lung cancer from smoking.
How has this experience changed you?
My melanoma diagnosis was the beginning of a new wellness journey for me, a wake-up call about my own health and cancer prevention. For example, I’ve made my health checkups a top priority. When I turned 45, I had a mammogram, and I just recently got my first colonoscopy. The skin-cancer diagnosis was the reason I didn’t put off getting both of these procedures. I also have a new focus not only on protecting myself from the sun but on eating better and exercising more. My children have gotten the message, too. When I help them put on sunscreen, they don’t complain as much anymore.
I also really believe that, as women, we need to fundamentally change our relationships with our healthcare providers. As women, we get our nails and our hair done every few months or even weeks. And yet, we can go for years without seeing a doctor. We need to schedule and keep regular appointments with our healthcare providers, whether it’s our dentist, our primary caregiver, an eye doctor, a nutritionist or a dermatologist. Preventive check-ups are so important.
Any final thoughts?
Given the times we live in, I really urge people to see their providers and not miss any cancer screenings. I’ve read that about 35 percent of Americans have missed routine cancer screenings because of COVID-19 fears, and 43 percent have missed medical appointments. Vaccination rates are also down. I’m just concerned that people aren’t making the preventive health visits that are so important to stay safe.