Mike's personal story
My father had a melanoma removed at the age of 85. I grew up in the 1960s, when sunscreen was almost non-existent and sunburns were a regular occurrence, so I decided several years ago to start getting annual skin checks.
My wife first noticed a mole on my back, which she described as "suspicious." My dermatologist did a biopsy and it was a melanoma in situ, which was then excised by a surgeon.
Like so many conditions, the earlier these are discovered the easier they are to deal with. For the next year, I am on a quarterly skin check program, and of course paying much more attention to wearing hats and sunscreen, and finding shade when outdoors and on vacation.