Skin cancer: LBC caller warns against using sunbeds

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Visiting a dermatologist in LA, Julian Lennon described how “a little bump” on his head “that was actually a mole” caught the attention of the expert. “She noticed a little bump on my head, that was actually a mole, that had been there, along with a birthmark, for the last 57 years,” he wrote on a Facebook post. “But this time, it looked and felt a little different. She urged me to have a biopsy two days ago, which I obliged…

“Only to learn, 24 hours later, that it was malignant/cancerous, and that her recommendation was to get it removed immediately, which is what happened today [February 2, 2020].”

The musician, whose latest album JUDE is out now, said his cancer scare had him “shaking inside”.

“I cannot tell you how I felt,” he continued. “From one moment of joy, to the fear of feeling that I may be gone, at any given moment.

“I’m still shaking inside… but my faith is strong,” he wrote, adding his advice for other people.

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“Do every health check possible,” he noted. “Life is too short. Don’t make it shorter by being ignorant about your own health.”

The 59-year-old Liverpudlian cautioned: “The trouble is… you think you have time.”

Malignant moles

Cancerous moles are a type of skin cancer known as melanoma, the NHS explains.

“The most common sign of melanoma is the appearance of a new mole or a change in an existing mole,” it adds.

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“See a GP as soon as possible if you notice changes in a mole, freckle or patch of skin,” the health body says.

“Particularly if the changes happen over a few weeks or months.”

Signs to look out for include a mole that is getting bigger, changing shape or colour, bleeding, crusting, or becoming itchy and sore.

The ABCDE model can be utilised to help identify an abnormal mole.

• Asymmetrical – melanomas usually have two very different halves and are an irregular shape
• Border – melanomas usually have a notched or ragged border
• Colours – melanomas will usually be a mix of two or more colours
• Diameter – most melanomas are usually larger than 6mm in diameter
• Enlargement or elevation – a mole that changes size over time is more likely to be a melanoma.

If a malignant mole is detected by a medical professional, surgery is usually the main method of treatment.

Should the cancerous lesion be in the earliest stages, known as stage one to stage two melanoma, then surgical excision should be successful.

The affected area will be numbed with local anaesthetic, so the procedure should be painless.

“In most cases, once the melanoma has been removed there’s little possibility of it returning,” the NHS assures.

Up to 90 percent of people who undergo this procedure are monitored for up to five years to check that the cancer doesn’t return.

If, after five years, there is no further sign of cancer, the patient is typically discharged.

Stage three melanoma, however, means the cancer has spread to nearby lymph nodes, which will need to be removed.

Julian Lennon stars on Channel 4’s Sunday Brunch, November 20 at 9.30am.

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