Daytime star Alison Sweeney (Sami Brady, Days of our Lives) had a health scare back in June, revealing via Instagram that she had tested positive for skin cancer. Luckily, she caught it early, and now she's using the information she learned to help others avoid the frightening situation.
Together with Stand Up to Cancer, Sweeney is honoring Summer Sun Safety Month (which happens each August) by sharing tips on how fans and their loved ones can screen for signs of skin cancer.
"It's easy as ABCDE!" the actress writes along with a video and a graphic that literally spell out things to look for when examining any questionable mole or spot: A is for asymmetry, B is for border, C is for color, D is for diameter, and E is for evolving.
Sweeney and Stand Up to Cancer hope that knowing to look out for irregularities in the ABCDE's of skin spots will encourage people to make an appointment with their doctor when they notice them -- which is exactly what saved Sweeney's life.
As fans may recall, the former DAYS actress found an unusual bump on her nose back in June and smartly had it checked out by a doctor. The spot tested positive for skin cancer, but because she caught it early, she was able to have it removed without any serious consequences.
"[My doctor] assured me that we caught it early and I just wanted to share her advice," Sweeney continued. "Check your skin for any noticeable changes and ask your doctor about it! Even if it seems like nothing, let an expert decide. Early detection of skin cancer gives you the greatest chance for successful skin cancer treatment and prevents it from developing into something more complicated. And of course, use sunscreen (which I do!)."
Sweeney joined the cast of DAYS back in 1993 but decided to take a step back from her long history in daytime to focus on other projects. She occasionally pops back into Salem, but she spends a lot of her time filming Hallmark projects, like her Hallmark Movies & Mysteries series The Chronicle Mysteries films.
What do you think about Alison Sweeney partnering with Stand Up to Cancer? Do you apply sunscreen when you're going to be outside? Did you find the screening tips for skin cancer helpful? We want to hear from you -- so drop your comments in the Comments section below, tweet about it on Twitter, share it on Facebook, or chat about it on our Message Boards.
