A routine manicure turned into a life-saving moment for a 58-year-old Ohio woman when she spotted unusual black lines on her thumb, an early warning sign of melanoma. What seemed like a minor cosmetic concern led to a crucial diagnosis, allowing her to arrest the deadly skin cancer at stage zero.
During a routine manicure in September, Michelle Tagliamonte of Centreville, Ohio, noticed unusual marks on her thumbnail.
“I usually get my nails done every four weeks so I don’t know how long it has been there, but my nails grow pretty quickly because I have really good nutrition. It could have been in there for six months, it could have been in there for longer, I have no idea. I took some photos of the lines and then I decided to get my nails done,” Tagliamonte said.
When the strange marks did not go away and instead, continued to grow from the base of the nail she decided to have them checked by a doctor.
To her shock, tests confirmed around Thanksgiving that the marks were melanoma. Fortunately, doctors confirmed that they caught the disease just in time at stage zero or ‘melanoma in situ’ when the cancer cells are confined to the top layer of the skin. If not detected early, the cancer at this stage can become invasive and spread to other areas of the body.
Since the treatment required surgical removal of the affected cells, doctors performed an intense four-hour operation on January 17. The procedure involved the removal of her thumbnail and performing a skin graft to repair the area.
Tagliamonte now understands that being observant about changes in the body and her decision to seek medical attention at the right time made all the difference. “The nail appointment absolutely saved my life. I am glad that I noticed it and then I pursued to get it checked out,” she said.
She urges people to stay vigilant and trust their instincts when something seems off. “I think it’s just a matter of being diligent to get myself checked out. I would definitely say that if you see something that is odd or different, listen to your own intuition and get it checked out,” she added.
