A Miss Universe who thought it was just a mole, a college cheerleader who loved to tan: 4 women on having melanoma
Former Miss Universe Dayanara Torres knew she had a mole on the back of her leg for years, but didn't think much about it. 'I remember people talking to me about it,' she says. 'But because it was on the back of my leg, I would forget.'
The Married to Me author finally decided to take action in 2019, when she spotted the mole and realized that it was bigger than ever. Although she was traveling at the time, she was concerned enough to make an appointment to see a doctor in Miami before heading back to her home in Los Angeles. Torres says her doctor was pretty sure it was skin cancer, but when the biopsy confirmed that she had stage 3 melanoma, she was shocked.
'I have two kids, and I was a single mom. It was tough,' Torres tells Yahoo. She had surgery on her leg to remove the mole, along with surrounding areas of skin, which left her with 77 stitches. She started radiation treatment and immunotherapy every 21 days for a year after that.
Before her skin cancer diagnosis, Torrres says she didn't know anything about melanoma. After her experience, she decided to speak out about it, regularly sharing updates on her journey on social media. 'I wanted people to know and to understand,' she says. 'Each treatment, I would post a video just to keep people aware of what they should be looking for.' Torres participated in the Melanoma Research Foundation's 'Get Naked' campaign to encourage people to get their moles checked too. 'So many Latinos started doing appointments at their dermatologist because of me speaking out about it,' she says. 'It made me feel good.'
The 50-year-old is now diligent about putting on sunscreen before leaving the house, especially on her arms and face. She's also partnered with Coolibar, a brand that makes sun-protective shirts. 'Back in 2019, during my treatment, I was always wearing Coolibar,' she says. Torres says she makes a point to wear a hat and sunglasses while outdoors, and makes sure that 'every product I put on my face has SPF too.'
Torres urges other people to see a health care provider if they spot a suspicious spot. 'I could have detected it earlier — I just wasn't paying attention,' she says. 'You should pay attention to your skin. The earlier you detect it, the better the results.'
Melanoma can be fatal
Melanoma is the most deadly form of skin cancer, but it's highly treatable if it's caught early. According to the Melanoma Research Alliance (MRA), about 90% of melanomas are caused by exposure to UV (ultraviolet light). Getting five or more blistering sunburns between 15-20 years old can also raise your risk of getting melanoma by 80%, according to the MRA. There's also a genetic component. For some people, melanoma runs in their family, or they have certain traits, like fair skin and red hair, that raise the risk of getting this type of cancer. Also worth noting: Melanoma can crop up anywhere on the body, including the eyes, scalp, nails, mouth and feet, according to the Melanoma Research Foundation.
If you've had melanoma once, you're also at a higher risk of having it again, with research suggesting an up to 10% chance of a second melanoma, Dr. Hooman Khorasani, a dermatologic and cosmetic surgeon in private practice in New York City, tells Yahoo. 'This risk underscores the importance of regular full-body skin exams and lifelong skin surveillance,' he says.
It's also why Dr. Anthony Rossi, a dermatologist and Mohs surgeon at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, always tells his patients to be 'sun smart' by wearing sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher daily, along with a hat and sunglasses. 'You don't have to be a vampire, but you shouldn't be tanning intentionally,' he tells Yahoo.
People who have had melanoma, like Torres, tell Yahoo that they're now conscientious about doing what they can to lower their risk of having cancer again — and they want to help others avoid going through the same thing.
'I had no education or experience with melanoma'
As a college cheerleader whose team was sponsored by a tanning salon, Kelly McWhinney tanned regularly in her late teens and early 20s. Like Torres, McWhinney didn't know what melanoma was or that tanning was a risk factor for developing the cancer. She was diagnosed with melanoma for the first time in 2022, followed by a metastatic form of melanoma in 2023.
'The first sign I noticed was a mole on my body that started getting bigger,' she tells Yahoo. 'When I had my recurrence, I noticed a sharp pain in my left breast that was caused by the enlarged lymph node in my armpit.'
McWhinney says she was shocked by her original diagnosis. 'I had no education or experience with melanoma and felt like I was left with no knowledge other than what the doctors told me, which at the time was very little,' she says. 'I reacted quickly by finding the best specialist in my area.'
She originally had the mole surgically removed, but a year later started having persistent chest pain. The melanoma had spread to her lymph nodes, creating a lymph node 17 times the normal size. McWhinney had it removed and started 26 rounds of immunotherapy treatment, but she had a severe reaction that changed her health.
'The treatment triggered extremely rare autoimmune complications, causing my immune system to attack my organs and resulting in medically induced hypothyroidism and type 1 diabetes,' she says. 'The cascade of treatment-related complications continued even after completing immunotherapy in July 2024, requiring removal of my gallbladder and tonsils, causing heavy menstrual bleeding and ovarian cysts and ultimately forcing me to have tubal ligation, ending my hopes for having more children.'
Now she uses sunscreen daily, rotating between Melan, Daily Shade, Sun Bum and Blue Lizard. McWhinney also wears sun-protective clothes by Watskin and Lands' End. 'I always aim for shade when outside,' she says.
McWhinney has partnered with the Melanoma Research Alliance to spread awareness of the disease and urges other people to think of getting skin checks as a vital part of their health care. 'It is a necessity. It is equally as important as a Pap or a mammogram,' she says. 'I would also love for others to understand that melanoma will never 'just' be skin cancer. It is a cancer that is quick, sneaky and shows up everywhere, including large organs. Melanoma can change your life in every single way.'
'I started having difficulty breathing'
It was Mother's Day when Juanita Taylor felt like something was wrong. 'I was sitting on the sofa and I started having difficulty breathing,' she tells Yahoo. Taylor has a history of heart issues, so she called 911.
'I went to the ER, and they couldn't find anything happening with my heart,' she says. But doctors also did a chest X-ray and discovered that there was a small shadow on the back of her chest. 'Eventually, they saw there was a mass,' she says. A biopsy revealed that she had melanoma. 'I had no outward signs. It's not normal, especially for a person of color,' Taylor says. 'The only thing I'd had previously was a cough.' (While it's not common, melanomas do start in the lungs on rare occasions.)
Taylor, who was 61 at the time, had surgery at MD Anderson Cancer Center to remove the mass, along with a portion of her lung. 'That was the only treatment I had,' she says.
Even though her melanoma was internal, Taylor says she's had friends who have had melanomas on their skin. She's now diligent about sun protection as a result. 'I try not to go out at midday,' she says. 'I have a big sun hat that I wear, even in the wintertime. It covers the upper part of my body.' Taylor also makes a point to use a body lotion with SPF that's certified by the Skin Cancer Foundation.
'Know your own body,' Taylor says. 'When I had shortness of breath, I knew the body was telling me that something was amiss.'
'I've had melanoma four times'
Nancy Stokes was first diagnosed with melanoma in 2008. She's had three more since then. Stokes tells Yahoo that she was warned she might develop melanoma after a dermatologist spotted and removed a precancerous lesion from her chest when she was in her 20s.
'I started having annual skin checks after that,' she says. While Stokes says her dermatologist has caught most of her melanomas, she spotted one on her ankle that her doctor initially cleared. 'I actually caught that one,' she says.
Stokes says she's grateful that her regular skin checks have identified these cancers early. 'The worst one I had was very early stage, but on my temple. They were worried it was going to damage my temporal nerve and the whole side of my face,' she says, noting that she went to see specialists at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center for surgery. 'Luckily, somehow it didn't,' she added.
Stokes says she's now strict about protecting her skin from the sun. 'For my daily routine, I use Elizabeth Arden Prevage face cream — that has sunscreen in it,' she says. Stokes also uses a tinted moisturizer with SPF.
'For my body, I just cover up,' she says. 'If I'm going to be in the sun, I wear a hat with an SPF liner.' Stokes also wears bathing suits with UPF sleeves (brands like Outdoor Research and Coolibar also make UPF sleeves you can wear with any outfit). And when she's at the beach, Stokes says her husband will set up an umbrella before she gets there to make sure she's in the shade as much as possible.
Stokes is also diligent about seeing a dermatologist. 'Getting your skin checked is the name of the game,' she says.
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Forbes
an hour ago
- Forbes
Yes, You Should Brush Your Teeth For 2 Minutes, Twice A Day. Here's Why.
Maintaining good oral hygiene practices is key to keeping your teeth and gums healthy—and spending two minutes brushing twice a day is a crucial part of any routine. This may seem like a simple mandate, but there are several factors to keep in mind when you're brushing for optimal results: Technique, toothpaste, pacing and more will make a difference. The ultimate goal of brushing your teeth is to remove bacteria, which can otherwise build up to cause decay and disease. '[For] oral disease, whether that's cavities or whether that's gum disease, reducing the amount of bacterial load in the mouth is a critical piece of that prevention measure,' says Jennifer Cullen, clinical assistant professor at the University of Michigan School of Dentistry. We spoke to three dental experts to learn the best tips and tricks for keeping your teeth sparkling ... More clean. Illustration: Forbes / Photos: Retailers To help you make the most of your two-minute toothbrushing sessions—and learn why we should brush at this cadence in the first place—I spoke to three dental experts to get their advice: Mark S. Wolff, DDS, PhD, Morton Amsterdam dean and professor of the division of restorative dentistry at the University of Pennsylvania; Jennifer Cullen, clinical assistant professor at the University of Michigan School of Dentistry, and director of the division of dental hygiene; and Matthew Messina, DDS, associate professor, clinical and clinic director at the Ohio State University College of Dentistry, and ADA spokesperson. These experts shared their insights on how to brush most effectively, and why brushing teeth is important, to help you stay motivated. Here are the tips and techniques they recommend. Multiple clinical studies show that brushing for two minutes is key to removing plaque so you can keep your teeth and gums healthy. 'There's clinical studies that have shown two minutes of brushing to be highly effective in reducing [tooth] decay,' says Dr. Wolff. A key reason for the two-minute mandate is so you can actually reach the surface of every tooth in the mouth with your brush, and tackle all of the plaque on your teeth. Cullen explained that there are multiple layers of plaque on teeth, and that the longer you brush, the better you can get to the bottom-most, stickiest layers. The experts I spoke with maintained that thoroughly brushing the surface of every tooth takes time: You want to make sure you get the cheek and tongue surface and the back and front of each one. Wolff advises softly placing the bristles right at the gumline to start brushing. How can you ensure you're getting each tooth? 'Brush methodically, not randomly,' says Wolff. Approaching each quadrant of the mouth in 30-second intervals can help you hit all the areas of your mouth, too. 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Break It Up By Quadrant To break up the two minutes, you can also count for 30 seconds while brushing each quadrant of your mouth, if you don't have an electric toothbrush that does this automatically. This can help keep track of time while making sure you're getting to every tooth. Sing A Song Both Cullen and Messina suggest one way to track your time is to either sing or play a favorite song that lasts around two minutes. This can help gamify your brushing—and make it more enjoyable, a technique that can be especially helpful for kids. Be Gentle Though it's important to be thorough while brushing, experts advise against brushing too hard. 'You don't want to wear the teeth away by scrubbing like this is a floor,' says Wolff. Brushing too hard can actually damage your teeth and gums. To avoid that, opt for a brush with soft bristles. Many electric toothbrushes also have pressure sensors to indicate if you're brushing too aggressively, or if you're hitting the sweet spot. 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Sometimes electric toothbrushes can help people brush more effectively, but other assistive devices, like a universal cuff, can also help with holding a toothbrush independently. Cullen also said that caregivers may need to give patients breaks or adjust the location for brushing. 'If you're a caregiver, maybe you're doing it at the kitchen table,' she says. 'Maybe you're able to brush for 60 seconds and that person needs a break.' Check in with your hygienist, dentist and care team for the most relevant advice for your needs. Some Brushing Is Better Than None Building new habits like brushing your teeth for two minutes twice a day takes time, and starting a new routine can be intimidating. Messina notes that some patients can feel overwhelmed by the guilt of not brushing enough, and encourages people to do the best they can. Brushing isn't all or nothing; even if you can't reach the full two minutes, Messina says it's still helpful to brush in the first place, no matter how long the duration. 'I know if you start small, that you'll realize how much better it feels and then you'll do more and more,' he says. And remember, brushing is key to overall health. 'It seems like such a small thing to brush your teeth twice a day, but I think people should be encouraged that they're really making a big impact on their overall health when they do that small thing,' says Cullen.


Forbes
an hour ago
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20 Hurdles For Healthcare Tech Startups In Scaling Solutions
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Champions help articulate your value, often leveraging their professional credibility to advocate for it. Finding and 'winning' them is essential to scaling. - Graham Gardner, Kyruus Health 2. Navigating Integration Requirements Across Hospital Systems One of the biggest hurdles is navigating the complexities of integration requirements across different hospital systems. Healthcare startups frequently underestimate the time and resources needed for integrations. Success requires building flexible APIs from day one and having dedicated integration specialists who understand healthcare IT infrastructure, not just general software development. - Ted Kail, Cority Forbes Technology Council is an invitation-only community for world-class CIOs, CTOs and technology executives. Do I qualify? 3. Gaining Traction In A Risk-Averse Environment Most healthcare organizations are risk-averse and don't want to be early adopters. They look for proven, well-established companies and products, making it difficult for healthcare startups to get traction, even when they have clearly better solutions. Partnering and delivering real value to that first set of clients is critical in scaling early on. - John Bou, Modio Health 4. Integrating With Insurance Systems Health insurance companies amplify the interoperability challenge by adding another layer of complex, often siloed, data and systems that healthcare tech startups must integrate with. This makes the negotiation and implementation of business associate and HIPAA agreements more complicated, given the data types, security requirements and shared liabilities that arise from integrating with both providers and payers. - Ajai Paul, Affirm Inc. 5. Understanding The Complex Stakeholder Ecosystem Healthcare startups often make the mistake of viewing the U.S. healthcare system with a 'singular' point of view. It is an integrated ecosystem where each stakeholder is affected by the others, which means multiple interests must be aligned when adopting new technologies. - Raghav Ramabadran, Intelligine Technologies 6. Building Custom Integrations For Each Customer Healthcare startups' challenges include integrating with electronic health record systems, which is not a 'plug and play' process. Each hospital or system has its own highly customized version of an EHR, with unique workflows, data fields and security protocols. This lack of standardization means startups must build a new integration for nearly every customer. - Chris Ciabarra, Athena Security Inc. 7. Developing Strong Governance From The Outset Healthcare startups often wait to build full product depth until after landing their first client, but healthcare's high-risk, structured environment demands strong governance from day one. Change control, release management and a deep understanding of current operations, especially when replacing legacy systems, are essential before customizing. Building depth late risks delays and failure! - Trisha Swift, Mula Integrative Health & Wellness 8. Maintaining HIPAA Compliance With Digital Content One challenge healthcare startups face when scaling tech is managing digital content while staying HIPAA-compliant. Hospitals need more than stock photos and shared drives—they expect secure, role-based access to branded visuals that convey authenticity and protect patient privacy. Without a digital asset management strategy, startups risk falling short on compliance, credibility and growth. - Andrew Fingerman, PhotoShelter 9. Ensuring Consistent Performance And Compliance Across Disparate Systems Healthcare startups often struggle to scale because hospital environments vary widely in terms of infrastructure, workflows and data systems. Without a unified data architecture, real-time metrics, and built-in security and governance, it's hard to ensure consistent performance—or meet privacy requirements like HIPAA and business associate agreements governing protected health information. - Dave Albano, Diliko 10. Working Within Complex Pricing And Claims Rules One of the challenges is the integration of new tech into strict hospital billing and compliance processes. Hospitals have complex pricing and claims rules, and startups must work within these rules. They can't disrupt revenue or patient data safety. Doing this right builds trust and helps a solution scale faster. - Abhishek Sinha, Accenture 11. Processing Both Structured And Unstructured Health Data Integrating structured data (EHRs; lab results) and unstructured data (clinical notes; imaging; video) can be a major challenge. Healthcare startups must ensure their tech can process both, all while adapting to varying data and privacy standards across systems, which further complicates scaling and interoperability. Fortunately, generative AI is making this easier to do. - David Talby, John Snow Labs 12. Balancing Accuracy And Transparency With Scalability The healthcare and life sciences sector faces rigorous accuracy and transparency requirements that cannot be sacrificed and must be built into products from the start. Balancing this with scalability—which is really code for 'solving problems you don't have yet'—is a constant challenge—especially for startups, which often place a key focus on agility and speed. - Martin Snyder, Certara 13. Maintaining A Consistent, Accurate Record Of Core Assets One key challenge healthcare startups face when scaling tech solutions across systems is the inability to maintain a consistent and accurate record of core assets—such as patients, providers and devices—due to the absence of a robust master data management strategy. This causes data fragmentation, which in turn hinders decision-making, innovation and seamless integration across platforms. - Somnath Banerjee 14. Keeping Up With A Range Of Regional Norms And Laws Key challenges include a wide range of compliance requirements, regulations, cultural norms, and data privacy and region-specific laws—making a one-size-fits-all solution impractical, even within a single organization. Startups often rely on business rules engines that lack user friendliness. Agentic AI offers a more adaptable and intuitive alternative. - Koushik Sundar, Citibank 15. Working Within Legacy Hospital Systems One major challenge healthcare startups face when scaling tech solutions is integration with legacy hospital systems. Many hospitals rely on outdated EHRs or siloed IT infrastructure, making interoperability difficult. Startups must ensure compliance, data security and seamless integration to gain trust and adoption at scale. - Srikanth Bellamkonda 16. Clearly Demonstrating ROI And Pathways To Reimbursement Healthcare startups often struggle to clearly demonstrate a return on investment and secure reimbursement pathways. Without established billing codes or tangible cost-savings data, hospitals hesitate to allocate budget. Startups must invest heavily in economic validation, health economics and outcomes research, ensuring payers and finance teams see sustainable revenue models before adoption. - Manav Kapoor, Amazon 17. Creating An Internal COE Establishing an internal center of excellence with deep industry experience in scaling healthcare systems is vital, but costly. A key challenge lies in selecting vendors that align with the company's DNA. Bridging the gap between emerging tech and the unique demands of healthcare requires thoughtful planning and a nuanced understanding of both innovation and patient-centric outcomes. - Hari Sonnenahalli, NTT Data Business Solutions 18. Overcoming Resistance To New Tech I've regularly observed the challenges clinical sites face when adopting new technologies. There is often reluctance or resistance to change; staffing shortages further exacerbate these issues. A more effective approach may be to 'mirror' site-level data. This would allow AI-driven platforms to build a harmonized system that enables forward progress without disrupting existing workflows. - Rachel Tam, Bristol Myers Squibb 19. Accounting For Integration Issues When Building Solutions The biggest hurdle to overcome when scaling tech solutions across hospitals or healthcare systems is not technical; rather, it is integration—into provider workflows, clinical practice guidelines, financial models and revenue cycle management programs. Unless the issues around integration are considered and covered when building the solution, scaling will not occur. The landscape is littered with misaligned HealthTech startups. - Mark Francis, Electronic Caregiver 20. Completing Vendor Risk Documentation Post-ransomware, hospitals demand extensive vendor risk audits with hundreds of security controls, SOC 2/HITRUST docs, and custom BAAs. Completing these lengthy questionnaires stretches sales cycles to 18 to 24 months, burning cash and pulling engineers from product work to compliance, blocking scale. - Mohit Menghnani, Twilio
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
GE HealthCare launches new advanced digital X-ray system to enable access and increase efficiency in high throughput settings
Definium™ Pace Select ET, a new floor-mounted digital X-ray system, enables access to affordable, high-quality medical imaging technology while easing workflow burdens in high-volume environments This new X-ray system, designed to act as a personal assistant for technologists, provides automation of in-room workflows and motorization of manual, repetitive tasks to increase throughput and reduce technologist learning curve CHICAGO, July 24, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--GE HealthCare (Nasdaq: GEHC), today announced commercial availability of an advanced floor-mounted digital X-ray system, Definium™ Pace Select ET1, designed to deliver high-image quality and optimize efficiency in highly demanding environments while enhancing access and affordability. X-ray exams often serve as the entry point to diagnostic imaging, accounting for 60% of all imaging studies conducted, resulting in an ever-increasing workload for radiologists and technologists2 3. This increased demand, combined with acute staffing challenges where 80% of healthcare organizations are short-staffed and radiology technologists have the highest vacancies3, high burnout levels and work-related injuries, creates critical barriers to providing timely, effective diagnostic imaging for patients in need of X-ray imaging. GE HealthCare's new Definium Pace Select ET solves for many of these challenges by automating manual, repetitive steps and helping to reduce physical strain. The system leverages AI to ensure accurate patient positioning and consistent image quality across various clinical conditions while streamlining the technologist workflow to maximize the patient experience and throughput. "Burdened with the stress and pressure to keep radiology departments running smoothly and profitably, we aim to empower technologists with a system that consistently makes the first image count," said Sharad Sharma, Global General Manager, X-ray, at GE HealthCare. "With its advanced digital capabilities and automation, Definium Pace Select ET allows technologists of all experience levels to deliver consistent high-quality images to serve the full range of anatomies and patient populations." Easy-to-use features allow technologists to focus on patient care Building on the trusted Definium platform from GE HealthCare, the Definium Pace Select ET system brings advanced automation and workflow features to a flexible, floor-mounted system with elevating table, in-room exam control, and common user interface to assist technologists. "This launch reinforces our commitment to provide accessible, efficient, and high-quality care for patients, while alleviating stress from the technologist's workday by minimizing repetitive tasks and automating steps," said Jyoti Gupta, PhD, President & CEO of Women's Health and X-ray at GE HealthCare. "We remain dedicated to advancing our technology through transformative digital and AI-enabled capabilities that will remove barriers to timely and effective diagnostic imaging for any patient in need of X-ray imaging." The Definium Pace Select ET system brings the same high image quality typically seen in more expensive overhead tube suspension (OTS) systems to the affordability focused floor-mounted market. Designed and developed with extensive customer feedback, the system brings: Advanced automation to reduce workflow steps and physically demanding movements for technologists, potentially minimizing work-related injuries. Image variability reduction through the AI-enabled Helix™ Advanced Image Processing to provide consistent high-quality images. Prevention of errors before they occur through automated positioning, protocol selection, patient size (body habitus), and collimation via the Intelligent Workflow Suite, and a quality check prior to radiation exposure. To learn more about the new X-ray system, visit About GE HealthCare Technologies Inc. GE HealthCare is a trusted partner and leading global healthcare solutions provider, innovating medical technology, pharmaceutical diagnostics, and integrated, cloud-first AI-enabled solutions, services and data analytics. We aim to make hospitals and health systems more efficient, clinicians more effective, therapies more precise, and patients healthier and happier. Serving patients and providers for more than 125 years, GE HealthCare is advancing personalized, connected and compassionate care, while simplifying the patient's journey across care pathways. Together, our Imaging, Advanced Visualization Solutions, Patient Care Solutions and Pharmaceutical Diagnostics businesses help improve patient care from screening and diagnosis to therapy and monitoring. We are a $19.7 billion business with approximately 53,000 colleagues working to create a world where healthcare has no limits. GE HealthCare is proud to be among 2025 Fortune World's Most Admired Companies™. Follow us on LinkedIn, X, Facebook, Instagram, and Insights for the latest news, or visit our website for more information. _______________________________ 1 510(k) cleared. Not CE marked. Cannot be placed on the market or put into service or used with human beings until it has been made to comply with CE marking and/or regulatory approval. Not all features available in all markets. 2 MV 2019 X-ray CR / DR Market Outlook Report) page 9, 37 3 Pearson, Dave. "Radiology techs in especially high demand as 85% of hospitals seek 'allied' health workers", 23 Oct. 22. View source version on Contacts GE HealthCare Media Contact: Katie ScrivanoM +1 Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data