On February 25, 2011, Arcadia Rotarian Dong L. Chang, M.D. addressed the Club on the subject of his own background and his specialty, Dermatology.
By way of background, on August 7, 1971, Dr. Chang and his wife Betty left Taiwan to come to the United States. With them, they brought two bags of rice and a frying pan. They had never been in the United States before and knew only a few words of English. The phrase he knew best was “I beg your pardon.” At the time, this phrase was used to aid communication. Today (forty years later), the phrase is used to compensate for hearing loss.
Now after forty years, the Chang family has passed from the first generation (Dr. Dong Chang and his wife Betty) to the second generation (his daughter Jennifer and son-in-law Jason Knight; as well as his son Dr. Carl Chang and wife Sandy). The family now has reached into the third generation (his grand-daughter Mia).
Dr. Chang’s medical education went through four stages: (1) getting his MD degree in 1970 at Kaohsiung Medical University in Taipai, Taiwan; (2) getting his PhD from Alabama University in Birmingham, Alabama, (3) finishing his training in pathology in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and (4) finishing his training in dermatology at New York University in New York City.
In 1978, at his wife Betty’s suggestion, the couple left the cold weather to relocate to California.
After two years at Kaiser, in 1980 Dr. Chang joined the Arcadia medical community. In 2009 he moved his office to the present location at 100 N. Santa Anita Avenue. The firm now includes three doctors specializing in dermatology: Dr. Dong Chang, M.D. (father), Dr. Carl Chang, M.D. (son), and Dr. Dana Kang, M.D. (a lady doctor).
In August, 1986 Dr. Cheng joined Arcadia Rotary. As an Arcadia Rotarian, he has taken part in projects in Ensenada and Tijuana (the orphanage). He has also traveled to meetings of Rotary International in Mexico City and Barcelona.
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Next Dr. Chang turned to the practice of Dermatology which includes all kinds of skin conditions, including, inter alia, warts, hair loss, psoriasis, shingles, acne, neurofibromatosis, skin cancer (melanoma, etc.), breast cancer (including mammary Paget disease of the nipple), and aging skin.
Shingles is a reinfection after a previous episode of chicken pox which may soon be preventable by vaccination.
In diagnosing melanoma, the focus is on early signs summarized by the mnemonic “ABCDE”: Asymmetry, Borders (irregular), Color (variegated), and Diameter (greater than 6 mm (0.24 in), about the size of a pencil eraser), Evolving over time. Skin should be checked monthly and by a doctor annually.
It is important to avoid sunburn by getting tanned gradually. People with sunblisters are twice as likely to get cancer. Skin cancer is more prevalent in light-skinned people than it is in people with darker skins. Caucasians are much more likely to develop it than Asians who have a low chance of getting it. Red skins are the most vulnerable…Sunburn lotions have a shelf life of about two years, and should be discarded if they start to develop an odor or change color.
Cosmetic techniques include laser and substance filler implantation. Laser can be used to remove or lessen undesired pigmentation such as sunspots, as well as acne scars. Substance filler implantation includes Restylane (used to fill wrinkles) and Botox (a neurotoxin used to numb). Botox is used for the temporary treatment of frown lines, crows feet, and brow furrows. It is used on the forehead, paralyzing or stretching out the muscle so that wrinkles disappear. It has been in use for almost 20 years and has usually been quite safe. It lasts for about 4 to 6 months.
Prevention and management of aging skin involves lifestyle and nutrition. For skin health, vitamins have helped. Vitamin A has been approved for acne, but not aging. Vitamin C is an antioxidant which improves skin and protects against future damage. Vitamin E may also help. Vitamin D3 is very important, helping in calcium absorption and the prevention of osteoporosis.
Sun exposure for about 8 minutes a day can be beneficial.
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Our minds having absorbed Dr. Chang’s discourse we climbed back into our skins with a greater appreciation of the outer layer of the body.