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- Q. How much of my donation goes to support melanoma research?
- A. The funds will be placed in the Melanoma Clinic Program Fund which provides funds to support of the melanoma
clinic at University of Colorado Hospital Cancer Center
including: patient care, financial assistance, equipment, and program support. The area of major interest for
Dr. Gonzales is the Frontiers of Melanoma Speakers series. This will help inform, educate and challenge health
care providers about melanoma, research, treatments and patient care.
- Q. What Will The Donations Be Used For?
- 100% of all the money will go to University of Colorado Hospital. The funds will be placed in the Melanoma
Clinic Program Fund which provides funds to support of the melanoma clinic at University of Colorado Hospital Cancer
Center including: patient care, financial assistance, equipment and program support.
- Q. What types of transportation will you use to travel to seven continents?
- Mostly by commercial airlines. We may also use helicopters in certain locations. I hear Donkeys are
an option in Morocco. We will use any means necessary to get up the hill and do some skiing.
- Q. What's the itinerary?
- The northern hemisphere while it's still winter. First we plan on going to Switzerland around March 22,
2007. Then Morocco if there is any snow left, then on to Nepal where there is no shortage of snow.
Summer will take us to the southern hemisphere were its winter there. Australia and South Africa if we can not
do Morocco in March. Around December we go to South America to get to Antarctica. It's the Antarctic
summer but they assure me there will be plenty on snow. This part of the trip I expect to be the biggest
challenge. We also will ski in Chile or Argentina on this leg of the trip. There ski season is typically
June through October, so we will be seeking out snow high up wherever we can find it.
- Q. When will you break the record?
- Upon our return from Antarctica we will finish up at Winter Park Colorado were Victoria first learned to ski.
- Q. Where do you live?
- Our family lives in a small town about half way between Denver and Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA.
- Q. What do you do for a living?
- I work for a major airline in Denver as a Flight Simulator Technician. I specialize in the visual systems
used for simulation.
- Q. Will this adventure cost you money personally?
- Until we can get corporate sponsors for the logistics I will be paying for all ground transportation, hotels,
food, and lift tickets. Air transportation should be at a substantial discount through my employer.
- Q. Can I donate money for your trip expenses?
- Yes, although it will not be tax-deductible. Any funds we collect for logistics will be used just for
these expenses. Any excess funds will be donated to the University of Colorado Cancer Center. You can
make a PayPal donation by clicking the button below...
Contact me at ken@mountainsformelanoma.com if you have any questions.
- Q. Isn't skin cancer one of the most curable forms of cancer?
- A. The "typical" skin cancer, sometimes called nonmelanoma skin cancer, is usually less worrisome, because the cancer
starts in the skin cells and does not spread to other parts of the body. Melanoma skin cancer starts in the melanocyte
cells of the skin, and then spreads to other parts of the body through the lymphatic system.
Melanoma is also particularly insidious because even after successful treatment, there is always an increased risk of
the melanoma returning. As an example, in the fall of 2001, Lance Armstrong had his final cancer checkup on the five-year
anniversary of his original diagnosis. Fortunately, all the tests came back clear, and he is now no more likely than
the average person to get cancer again. Unfortunately, there is no such cut-off date after which melanoma survivors
can be considered "safe."
About Melanoma
Malignant Melanoma is a deadly form of skin cancer that affects the cells responsible for producing pigment (coloring)
in the skin. Little is known about what causes these cells to become cancerous; however, a major risk factor is thought
to be excessive exposure to sunlight (especially if one has had severe sunburns as a child).
According to 2002 statistics, malignant melanoma is the most common cancer affecting women ages 25 to 29, and the second
most common cancer for women ages 30 to 35. Currently, it is estimated that 1 in 71 Americans will develop melanoma during
their lifetime. By the year 2010, the risk is expected to increase to 1 in 50.
In 2002, it was estimated that 53,600 Americans would develop melanoma, and 7,400 (4,700 men and 2,700 women) would die
as a result of the disease. The incidence of melanoma is currently increasing faster than any other cancer.
While there is no cure for melanoma, the disease is highly preventable, and can be treated if caught early. Unfortunately,
many melanoma cases are not diagnosed until the disease is in the advanced stages.
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