Mom, 43, Was ‘Addicted to Sunbeds’ – Then She Found a Strange Lump on Her Forehead. It Was Skin Cancer.

“I used a sunbed almost every day from the ages of 15 to at least 22 years – shocking, I know. Roll forward 20 years and I paid the price,” McCartney explained to U.K.-based news outlet, The Independent.

McCartney explained after years of sunbed exposure, she took a selfie in My 2021 and noticed a lump on her forehead. The lump was growing in size, prompting the mother of one to contact her doctor.

“Some people would have just written it off but, having suffered from severe acne in my early 20s, I knew this was not a normal spot,” she said.

She was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma, a type of skin cancer. McCartney underwent a skin graft procedure to remove the cancer a month after her diagnosis. The procedure left behind a large scar on McCartney’s face.

“They had to remove quite a lot of the skin around it and I’ve been left with a large horseshoe-shaped scar on my forehead,” McCartney explained.

Roughly a month after her procedure, McCartney was given the “all-clear” after doctors found no evidence of cancer remaining.

“Luckily, everything had been caught very early and was treatable,” McCartney said.

What to Know About Common Skin Cancers?

Basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinomas, and melanoma are the three most common types of skin cancer, according to the CDC.

According to the American Cancer Society, basal and squamous cell skin cancer are often found on “the head, neck, and arms” where the sun has the most exposure. About “5.4 million basal and squamous cell skin cancers are diagnosed each year in the U.S.”

People who spend lots of time in the sun unprotected or use tanning beds are most at risk for basal and squamous cell skin cancers.

Like basal and squamous cell skin cancers, the chance of getting melanoma cancer increases with excessive exposure to ultraviolet (UV) like from the sun or tanning beds.

Mayo Clinic considers melanoma “the most serious type of skin cancer” but also less common. Melanoma starts in the same cells that give your skin, hair, and eyes their color. Only, in melanoma, the cells change in a way that makes them able to spread to other organs.

There have been studies conducted by researchers highlighting the risks associated with excessive UV ray exposure and skin cancer. Indoor tanning beds emit a type of UV ray, and UV exposure can increase the risk of skin cancer, according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Remember, the sun also emits UV rays. Spending too much time in the sun unprotected also has consequences.

Researchers of the study said young people who tanned indoors had a “69% increased risk of early onset BCC.”

“Indoor tanning was strikingly common in our study of young skin cancer patients, especially in the women, which may partially explain why 70% of early-onset BCCs occur in females,” researcher Susan T. Mayne said to Yale Daily News.

Dr. Lynn A. Cornelius is the chief of the Division of Dermatology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. He encourages alternative tanning methods such as spray tans and tanning lotions to reduce cancer risks.

While “one should take precautions not to inhale the product when getting a spray tan,” she said, “skin allergic reactions are rare.”

Since her cancer battle, McCartney has changed her tanning habits.

“I still love the sun, but now I protect my skin with SPF and wear a hat. The damage I have caused my skin was not worth the tan,” she said.

What Are the Warning Signs of Skin Cancer?

You should check your body for any unusual spots or moles on your skin at least once a month. Any spots on your skin that are new or are changing in size or color demand your attention.

Changes to a mole you’ve had for a while or a new growth on your skin could be signs of melanoma, according to SurvivorNet’s experts. Though it’s unlikely that these marks are cancerous, you’ll want to keep an eye on them and let your doctor know about any changes you do notice.

You’re most likely to find melanoma on sun-exposed areas of skin, like your face, neck, arms, and legs. Surprisingly, you might also find them in places that have never been exposed to the sun, like:

• The palms of your hands or soles of your feet
• On your eyes or mouth
• Under your nails

SurvivorNet experts describe melanoma symptoms as:

• A sore that doesn’t heal
• Color that spreads from the border of a spot to the skin around it
• Redness or swelling that goes beyond the area of a mole
• Itchiness, tenderness, or pain
• A change in the way the surface of a mole looks
• Scaliness, oozing, or blood

WATCH: Examining Your Skin for Melanoma Remember ABCDE

When You Check Your Skin, Use ABCDE as Your Guide:

Asymmetrical moles: If you drew a line straight down the center of the mole, would the sides match?
Borders: Is the mole irregular or jagged?
Colors: Are there multiple distinct colors in the mole?
Diameter: Is the mole larger than 6 millimeters (mm), about the size of a pencil head eraser?
Evolution: Has the mole’s color, shape, or size changed over time?

If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, our experts say it’s time to see your dermatologist for a skin check.

What Are the Treatment Options for Skin Cancer?

Common treatment options for skin cancers include:

• Surgery involves cutting out the cancerous cells and sometimes Mohs surgery is the procedure used. Mohs surgery removes skin cancer layer by layer until all the cancer is gone.
• Radiation therapy uses low-energy X-rays to target cancerous cells.
• Targeted therapy targets specific genes, proteins, or the tissue environment that contribute to the cancer’s development and growth.
• Cryotherapy freezes the cancer cells to kill them.

Questions to Ask Your Doctor After Skin Cancer Diagnosis

• What do you know about my cancer so far?
• What treatment plan do you recommend and why?
• How will this treatment affect my daily life? Will I be able to work and perform my normal activities?
• How will my pain be controlled after my procedure?
• If I have questions or problems, who should I call?

Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.

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