BILLINGS— A Billings skin cancer patient is warning people of the harmful effects of sun exposure as summer approaches.
Jeff Walters, who has been treated for skin cancer on and off since 2008, said he believes 30 years as a baseball umpire contributed to the cancer. He is one of six million people treated for skin cancer in the U.S. every year, according to the CDC.
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“As an umpire, I would spend literally entire summers outdoors. I would do 75 to 100 baseball games a season,” said Walters. “I would maybe put sunscreen on before the first game but never really given another thought and not take the time to reapply sunscreen.”
Doctors decided the best course of treatment would be Mohs surgery, which involves removing skin tissue.
“By the time that procedure was done, I actually had a hole in my lip that you could literally put your thumb in,” said Walters. “It was shocking.”
He has maintained his health through regular treatments since then.
“I've done topical treatments a couple of times, and it's now just… sort of ongoing,” he said.
His daughter, Blair Heidema, works as the Billings Clinic manager of dermatology and encouraged him to get routine checkups.
“I think there could have been a lot more surgeries in his calendar if we have not done the things to prevent them from evolving,” she said.
Walters has made significant life changes since getting treated, always wearing long sleeves, a hat and sunscreen when he goes outside.
“One of the biggest changes that I had to make in this process was just having the self-discipline to put on sunscreen in the morning, reapply during the day,” he said. “I wish I knew then what I know now about those kinds of things.”
Walters’ current doctor, Mark Jones, a Mohs surgeon at Billings Clinic, treats 800 to 1,000 people for skin cancer every year. He encourages people to take precautions before skin cancer has a chance to develop.
“The whole idea is protection from the giant nuclear reactor in the sun, right in the sky,” said Jones. “After one has had a single skin cancer, there's a 50% chance of them having another one in the next five years.”
Jones recommends wearing hats and clothes that shield your skin from the sun's rays.
"They make certain UV protection clothing. A lot of the outlets in town will have it," he said.
