VAIL, Ariz. (KGUN) — As temperatures rise and more Arizonans head outdoors to enjoy the sun, one Tucson woman is sharing her personal story — and a warning — in honor of Melanoma Monday and Skin Cancer Awareness Month.
Candice Mason, a wife and mother of three, was diagnosed with melanoma in 2017 at age 35 — the deadliest form of skin cancer.
She said her battle began with a freckle that slowly changed into a mole over the course of 10 to 15 years.
"I know it sounds like a crazy amount of time," she said. "But, I did have it looked at on two different occasions and the third time, after I had my third child."
That's when she said the freckle began to morph.
“The border was growing. It was dark. It was not pretty,” Mason said.
Doctors removed the mole and, after a sentinel lymph node biopsy, discovered stage 3 melanoma.
When asked what that diagnosis felt like, she said, “Scary… devastating.”
"I did have to do my first bout of immunotherapy, but my scans were clean and I was starting to get some side effects, so the doctor and I had decided to cease treatment," Mason explained.
Two years later, Mason was in a car crash. While checking for injuries, doctors found a suspicious spot in her lung — which they described as “an unidentifiable lesion.”
“I knew exactly what it was,” she said. “So I called my doctor, my oncologist, and that’s what prompted my first brain MRI. We tried to find a surgeon because at the time, we thought it was just localized to the lung.”
Soon after, Mason began experiencing painful headaches. A brain MRI revealed three tumors on her brain.
Her melanoma had spread to her brain, lung, spleen and pelvic wall, and she was diagnosed with stage 4 melanoma.
Her case is one of millions. According to the American Cancer Society, more than 5 million cases of skin cancer are diagnosed each year in the United States, making it the most commonly diagnosed cancer in the country.
The American Cancer Society estimates 3,790 new cases of melanoma will be diagnosed in Arizona this year — a rate well above the national average.
“People need to just wake up. Skin cancer is not something that you can cut out and you’ll be fine,” Mason said. “It spreads to your brain. It’s disfiguring. And people die from it.”
She urges people to check their skin regularly and limit their exposure to ultraviolet (UV) rays — the most common cause of skin cancer.
Mason showed KGUN 9 the sunscreen she uses and emphasized the importance of consistency.
“The best sunscreen is the one that you’ll wear,” she said.
She also shared several sun safety tips: using sunscreen daily, covering up, staying in the shade, taking vitamin D supplements, using umbrellas, and wearing wide-brimmed hats and sunglasses.
After undergoing intensive treatments — including a double craniotomy, immunotherapy and brain radiation — Mason currently shows no signs of cancer. She continues to monitor her skin and volunteers with the American Cancer Society to advocate for cancer legislation in Arizona.
“Skin cancer is all-inclusive,” she said. “It doesn’t care what color skin you have, what you believe in, what age you are, what gender you are. Everybody is susceptible to skin cancer.”
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Maria Staubs joined KGUN 9 as a multimedia journalist and producer in July of 2024. Her passion for writing and storytelling stems from anchoring her middle school’s news show and editing her high school’s yearbook. She holds a bachelor's degree in journalism and mass communication with a minor in film and media production, as well as a master's degree in mass communication. You can email Maria at maria.staubs@kgun9.com or reach out to her on X/Twitter or Instagram.
