When celebrities and other influencers confront cancer scares, they often take to social media to share the news with fans. In doing so, they send valuable messages about the need for transparency when it comes to disease, and about the importance of cancer screening and prevention.
Here are just some who’ve taken their cancer scares public in recent months, helping others to be conscious of warnings signs and to take any changes in their bodies seriously.
Caitlyn Jenner: ‘Wear Your Sunblock’
Read MoreView this post on InstagramI recently had to get some sun damage removed from my nose. PSA- always wear your sunblock!
Melissa Joan Hart: ‘Get Your Mammogram!’
Actor Melissa Joan Hart posted a teary message on Instagram after a mammogram prompted a call-back from her doctor for another round of testing. "It was a little nerve-wracking, but everything's good," the "Sabrina the Teenage Witch" star reported. "It's all clear, so I'm glad I did what I had to do." Hart, 43, who has three children, offered her own PSA for fans: "Reminder to all women over 35- get your mammogram!!"
Tamara Judge: ‘Get Your Skin Checked’
Tamara Judge from “Real Housewives of Orange County” sent a sobering message to her Instagram followers when she lifted her short-shorts to show a small lesion on her left cheek. The star wrote: "I'm showing you this picture because this is what melanoma looks like. I don't want sympathy, I want you to save YOUR ASS and get your skin checked."
After she underwent surgery to remove the mole, she updated fans with a photo of her stitches. Now clear of her melanoma-scare. Judge told fans to schedule a full-body skin check with a dermatologist: "This was just a small black flat freckle…. I had no idea!"
Bethenny Frankel: ‘Know Your Body’
“Real Housewives of New York City” star Bethenny Frankel, who is also founder of Skinnygirl Cocktails, had a skin cancer scare that prompted Mohs surgery to remove a small growth on her face. Mohs surgery is an effective way to treat treating many basal cell carcinomas (BCCs) and squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs), according to the Skin Cancer Foundation, and it’s done in stages, including lab work, while the patient waits. “This allows the removal of all cancerous cells for the highest cure rate while sparing healthy tissue and leaving the smallest possible scar,” it says.
RELATED: Am I at High Risk for Melanoma?
Frankel’s was confirmed to be the most common form of skin cancer: basal cell carcinoma. "I am extremely lucky to have caught it in time, and it just goes to show you have to know your body and be very aware of any changes," she told People magazine. "This was a sharp reminder why it is so important that I religiously wear large hats to cover my face and reapply sunscreen."
Jamie Otis: Empathy and Love
Jamie Otis, reality-T V star of “The Batchelor” and “Married at First Sight” opened up on Instagram about a recent colposcopy that revealed possibly cancerous tissue.
“I got the call today saying that my doc did see dysplasia & since I'm pregnant we will have to wait to biopsy my cervix until after I have the baby.”
Choose the Right Sunscreen and Use It Often
Ninety percent of melanomas are caused by ultraviolet radiation from the sun. That means you're at risk if you spent excessive amounts of time in the sun even as a child. If you ever got scalding sunburns, or were a fan of tanning salons, it's important to get your skin checked out.
RELATED VIDEO: Dr. Cecilia Larocca on using sunscreen
Many people slather on sunscreen every day, but if you're not choosing the right type or not using enough, it may not be working. Dr. Cecilia Larocca, a dermatologist at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, recommends you use no less than SPF 30 and reapply it every two hours. Your sunscreen should also be broad spectrum, says Dr. Larocca, meaning it covers both UVB and UVA rays.
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