Understanding Melanoma
- Khloe Kardashian recently shared that she had a tumor removed from her face. A source for TMZ reports that the tumor was a precancerous melanoma. Then, in a more recent update, she said the worst was over and she’ was doing well.
- Kardashian also had melanoma removed from her back when she was just 19 years old.
- Melanoma is a type of skin cancer that starts in the same cells that give your skin, hair and eyes their color. Ninety percent of melanomas are caused by ultraviolet radiation from the sun, so it's important to protect your skin with things like sunscreen and clothing.
- Paying attention to moles or growths on your skin is an easy way to look out for melanoma since changes to a mole you've had for a while or developing a new growth you don't remembering having on your skin could be signs of of this cancer, according to SurvivorNet's experts.
Khloe likes to keep her fans in the loop. And when the most recent episode of The Kardashians aired Thursday, the reality star took to social media to answer some questions from fans.
Read MoreBaby!!!!! I'm good!! I swear!! Super grateful that I'm healthy and that I have a lifetime supply of bandaids. Seriously im ok. The worst is over and now its time to be haaaaapppppy 🤸ðŸ¼â€â™€ï¸ #TheKardashians
Khloé (@khloekardashian) October 13, 2022
“Baby!!!!! I'm good!! I swear!!” she wrote after one fan asked for an update. “Super grateful that I'm healthy and that I have a lifetime supply of bandaids. Seriously im ok. The worst is over and now its time to be haaaaapppppy #TheKardashians”
Khloe Kardashian Shares Her Lates Health Scare
In a series of recent posts to her Instagram story, Khloe shared the reason why the reality star has been rocking a bandage over her face as of late.
"I have seen numerous stories going around about the ever-evolving bandage on my face, with some of you wondering why I've been wearing one for the past few weeks," she wrote over a collage of photos of herself with the bandage.
She then went on to explain that "a small bump" she initially assumed was a zit had lingered on her face for seven months. That's when she decided to get it biopsied and checked out by her doctors since "it was not budging."
Upon examination by her doctor and a second biopsy by another doctor, her care team was surprised by what they saw.
"What they both were seeing was incredibly rare for someone my age," she wrote in another post. "A few days later I was told I need to have an immediate operation to remove a tumor from my face."
Thankfully, her doctor was "able to get everything" and "all [her] margins appear clear." She's continuing to heal from the operation and wearing bandages in the meantime.
TMZ says "sources close to Khloe" told the media outlet the first biopsy revealed melanoma and after the tumor was removed doctors discovered it was a precancerous melanoma.
"Now we are onto the healing process," Khloe wrote in another Instagram story. "So, here we are…you'll continue to see my bandages and when I'm allowed, you'll probably see a scar (and an indentation in my cheek from the tumor being removed) but until then I hope you enjoy how fabulous I'm making these face bandages look."
In yet another post, Khloe wanted to tell her followers exactly why she's cluing them into her skin cancer scare.
"PS I am ONLY sharing this story with you so I can remind everyone to get checked, and frequently," she wrote. "At 19 years old, I had melanoma on my back, and I had a surgery to remove that as well, so I am pre-composed to melanomas.
"Even those who are not, we should be checking all the time. I am someone who wears sunscreen every single day, religiously so no one is exempt from these things. Please take this seriously and do regular self-exams as well as your annual checkups."
What Is Melanoma?
Melanoma is a type of skin cancer that starts in the same cells that give your skin, hair and eyes their color. The American Cancer Society estimates that about 99,780 new melanomas will be diagnosed in the United States in 2022.
And while the ACS says the risk of melanoma increases as people age with the average age of diagnosis being 65, the disease is not uncommon among those younger than 30. In fact, it's one of the most common cancers in young adults (especially young women).
The disease can develop from an existing mole or appear as a dark or pink growth on the skin even in places on the body that never see the sun. It's also known to be the deadliest form of skin cancer.
"Melanomas are the deadliest type of skin cancer because they have a tendency to spread to other parts of the body," explains Dr. Anna Pavlick, a medical oncologist with Weill Cornell Medicine who specializes in treating skin cancer.
Paying Attention to Your Skin
Keeping an eye on the moles or growths on your skin is an easy way to keep an eye out for melanoma. Changes to a mole you've had for a while or developing a new growth you don't remembering having on your skin could be signs of this cancer, according to SurvivorNet's experts.
Examining Your Skin for Melanoma Remember ABCDE
Dr. Cecilia Larocca of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute gives SurvivorNet an overview of things to look out for with moles using the ABCDE self-screening method:
- Asymmetrical moles: "If you drew a line straight down the center of the mole, would the sides match?"
- Borders that are "irregular, jagged, not smooth." It can also stand for bleeding.
- Colors: "Multiple distinct colors in the mole."
- Diameter: "Larger than 6mm, about the size of a pencil head eraser."
- Evolution: "This may be the most important," she says. "Anything that is changing over time such as gaining color, losing color, painful, itching, hurting, changing shape, etc."
Spots on our skin are often harmless, but it's still important to keep an eye on them and reach out to your doctor if you see any changes or find a growth anywhere on your skin that looks suspicious.
Protecting Yourself from Melanoma
Ninety percent of melanomas are caused by ultraviolet radiation from the sun. This means excessive time in the sun even as a child puts you at a higher risk.
Top 5 Ways to Protect Your Skin From Skin Cancer
In a previous interview with SurvivorNet, Dr. Dendy Engelman from MDCS Dermatology in New York shared the top five things you can do to avoid skin cancer:
- Avoid sun during peak hours, which is 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
- Wear a wide brimmed hat and sunglasses to protect the tops of our heads, the tops of our ears and the delicate area around the eye.
- Wear at least SPF 30 sunscreen and make sure to reapply every two hours or after excessive sweating or swimming.
- Have yearly skin checks (with a professional), because it's difficult to evaluate areas all over the body.
- Avoid tanning beds. There are no "good" tanning beds, and they can significantly increase your risk of melanoma.
Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.