Countdown star Susie Dent has revealed she has had a cancerous birthmark removed and warned fans of the tell-tale signs to look out for.
The 58-year-old lexicographer revealed she visited the doctor after a makeup artist expressed concern about a spot under her eye.
Speaking to Chris Evans – who recently received the all-clear for skin cancer himself – on his Virgin radio show, Susie revealed: “I had one under my eye a few years ago.” And it just felt like a small cut.
“So it was kind of a linear condition and just wouldn’t heal.” And I kept applying lots of different creams to it. So I had it too long. I had it for about a year.
“My GP said, ‘I’m going to say the word carcinoma, but don’t panic.’ And then they took it down, they basically cut it out. So I have some kind of scar under my eye.”
Health update: Countdown star Susie Dent has revealed she has had a cancerous mole removed and warned fans of the tell-tale signs to look out for
Susie continued: “This virus doesn’t spread, so we were really lucky.” I really just thought, “I cut my eye,” and didn’t think about it from one week to the next.
“And it was my makeup artist who said, ‘I think you should get this looked at.’
“Be careful because they don’t always look like moles or things you would expect, but can just look like small cuts.”
Skin cancer is one of the most common types of cancer worldwide. The two most common types of non-melanoma skin cancer are basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC).
BCC usually appears as a small, shiny pink or pearly white lump with a translucent or waxy appearance. It may also look like a red, scaly spot.
SCC appears as a solid pink lump with a rough or crusty surface. There may be a lot of debris on the surface and sometimes even a sharp horn protruding from the surface.
Earlier this month, Chris Evans announced he was cancer-free after doctors gave him the all-clear eight weeks after his diagnosis.
The 57-year-old broadcaster told listeners of the Virgin Radio show last month that he had been diagnosed with skin cancer, but has since confirmed a positive result after a malignant growth was removed from his body.
Addressing an email he received with the results of his surgery, he said: “I barely slept last night…two or three hours.”
“A good night, I get six, four or five, and because I wake up every 90 minutes because of my circadian rhythm and I submit to it now, I actually look forward to going back to sleep three times a night because that’s when.” I live.
“But I never thought for a second that you could lose sleep over an email like this.”
Signs: The 58-year-old lexicographer revealed she visited the doctor after a makeup artist expressed concern about a spot under her eye
Speaking out: Susie spoke about her health problems with Chris Evans – who himself was recently given the all-clear for skin cancer – on his Virgin radio show
The letter was then handed to Virgin Radio co-host Vassos Alexander, which said: “I have forwarded the pathology report.” This is excellent news. There is no residual disease. “You have the all-clear.”
Chris added: “I had a phone conversation with my dermatologist and she told me that the freckle that had moved and metastasized was obviously cancerous because the biopsy had come back and that I needed treatment and had it removed. That’s what we did, and that was last Thursday.’
“And so last Thursday at a quarter to four I had cancer and at a quarter to five I no longer had cancer.” And I just found that out last night. And that’s because time is your greatest weapon against you when you have it in abundance, and its greatest weapon against you when you lack it.”
He urged listeners to watch out for possible signs of cancer, saying: “If you’re worried about anything, remember that I was diagnosed with cancer eight weeks ago and now I don’t have it at all.” And so you just have to take care of things.
“And it’s really hard because for years I was the guy who wouldn’t go anywhere near that far. But you know, times have changed, thank God.’
Chris previously had a skin cancer scare in 2020 after getting tested for the disease after spotting spots on his body before Christmas. He had previously given the all-clear following a prostate cancer scare in 2015.
Melanoma: The most dangerous form of skin cancer
Melanoma is the most dangerous form of skin cancer. This happens after the DNA in skin cells is damaged (typically by harmful UV rays) and is subsequently not repaired, triggering mutations that can form malignant tumors.
causes
- Sunlight: UV and UVB rays from the sun and tanning beds are harmful to the skin
- Birthmarks: The more birthmarks you have, the greater your risk of developing melanoma
- Skin type: Lighter skin has a higher risk of developing melanoma
- Hair Color: Red heads are more at risk than others
- Personal history: If you have had melanoma once, you are more likely to get it again
- Family history: If previous relatives have been diagnosed, the risk increases
Treatment
This can be done by removing the entire tumor section or by the surgeon removing the skin in layers. By removing it layer by layer, a surgeon can figure out exactly where the cancer ends so he doesn’t have to remove more skin than necessary.
The patient may opt for skin grafting if the surgery has caused discoloration or a dent.
- Immunotherapy, radiation treatment or chemotherapy:
This is required when the cancer reaches stage III or IV. This means that the cancer cells have spread to the lymph nodes or other organs in the body.
prevention
- Use sunscreen and don’t burn yourself
- Avoid tanning outside and in bed
- Apply sunscreen 30 minutes before going outside
- Keep newborns out of the sun
- Examine your skin every month
- See your doctor every year for a skin exam
Source: Skin Cancer Foundation and American Cancer Society