Redheaded Tanning Fan, 43, Spots ‘Strange Freckle’ On Her Stomach While Brushing Her Teeth In Her Underwear: It Turned Out To Be Cancer

"I went into the bathroom to brush my teeth. I must have been in my underwear because I looked in the mirror and spotted a dark mole or a freckle on my stomach,” she explained. "I'm quite pale, with red hair and blue eyes, and I've got a lot of freckles, but this just didn't look right.

"I took a picture and sent it to my mum and sisters on WhatsApp, but it began to play on my mind."

O'Donnell had been vigilant about asking her doctor about spots or freckles on her skin over the years, but she noticed this one during the COVID-19 lockdown.

“This was just at that stage as we went into lockdown that you couldn't get to see or speak to your GP and like everyone else I was conscious of not putting pressure on the NHS,” she said. ‘But it bothered me.”

That’s when she turned to the internet for help and found the SkinVision app which claims to use AI technology to assess your skin and identify any risk. (It should be noted that these types of apps should not replace doctor’s visits and regular skin checks or delay seeking professional medical advice). After taking a picture of the mole in question, she got the results no one wants to see.

"Mine came back with a red alert that it was high risk,” she said. “Because of the pandemic I left it for a few weeks but, because of the app warning, when it started to change shape and size I contacted my GP.”

And thank goodness she did. Within days, she was referred to a dermatologist who immediately wanted to remove the mole.

"When they gave me leaflets I saw that it was a textbook melanoma and, two days after I had the mole removed, they confirmed it,” she said. “I had to go back into hospital to have more removed to make sure they had clear margins and had got it all.

"I'm a positive person, and I'm just glad it was diagnosed early and removed straight away."

Now, the former avid tanner is cautious when it comes to skin protection and grateful to be cancer-free.

“Before, my goal when I went on holiday was always to come back tanned and I'd be disappointed if I didn't,” she said. “Now, I will still enjoy the sun, but I'll cover up with a hat, sunglasses and SPF50 and go in the shade when it's really hot.

“I'm very lucky. Now my tan comes out of a bottle.”

Understanding 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:

1. Avoid sun during peak hours, which is 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
2. 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.
3. Wear at least SPF 30 sunscreen and make sure to reapply every two hours or after excessive sweating or swimming.
4. Have yearly skin checks (with a professional), because it's difficult to evaluate areas all over the body.
5. Avoid tanning beds. There are no "good" tanning beds, and they can significantly increase your risk of melanoma.

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