Jonas Brothers star Kevin in urgent message to fans after cancer diagnosis
Kevin Jonas, one-third of the popular Jonas Brothers band, has shared a crucial message with his fans following a recent health scare. The singer underwent surgery to remove a cancerous mole, known as a basal cell carcinoma, from his head.
In an Instagram post, Kevin urged his followers to get their moles checked regularly. He captioned the post: "Friendly reminder to get your moles checked."
The post included a video of Kevin lying down and explaining: "So today I am getting a basal-cell carcinoma removed from my head. Yes, that is an actual little skin cancer guy that has started to grow. And now I have to get surgery to remove it."
The musician then showed his hairline where a small blemish was visible. He also shared a short clip of him removing the bandage, though he chose not to reveal the result of the surgery, reports Wales Online.
Another snippet showed Kevin in his car, sporting a small plaster over the area where the mole had been removed. "Alright, I'm all done," he told his followers. "Now it's time to heal, heading home. Make sure to get those moles checked people," he concluded the video.
Many fans applauded Kevin for his transparency about his health situation. One fan commented: "Thank you for being real and honest about your situation. Skin cancer is always looked at from a 'cut it off and done' kinda cancer. You sharing opens doors for others to realize how important it is to check your skin! Hope surgery went well and keep sharing your experiences, it truly matters."
Jessicaleewalter commented: "So happy you got checked out and had it removed. Just make sure to check any new moles that pop up or change in appearance."
What exactly is basal cell carcinoma?
The NHS describes basal cell carcinoma, or BCC, as a type of non-melanoma skin cancer, which is one of the more common types of cancer beginning on the top layer of the skin. Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is the other primary form of non-melanoma skin cancer.
Non-melanoma skin cancers are often quite treatable. The term 'non-melanoma' is used to differentiate these more prevalent forms of skin cancer from the less common but more aggressive melanoma, which can spread more quickly throughout the body, as per NHS Inform.
A persistent lump or discoloured patch of skin that doesn't heal after several weeks is often the initial indication of non-melanoma skin cancer. Exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light, either from the sun or sunbeds, is a major cause of non-melanoma skin cancer. Other risk factors include:
pale skin that burns easily in the sun
red or fair hair
blue or green eyes
a large number of freckles or moles
had a lot of sun exposure and you've had sunburn a lot in the past
used sunbeds a lot
a history of skin cancer in your family or you've had skin cancer before
According to the NHS, individuals with brown or black skin have a lower risk of developing non-melanoma skin cancer, but it's still possible to be affected.
Signs to watch for with non-melanoma skin cancer
The primary sign of non-melanoma skin cancer is typically a growth or an abnormal patch on the skin. This can manifest anywhere on the body, including the head, face and ears, neck and shoulders, back, hands and lower legs.
Cancer Research UK outlined that symptoms of skin cancer, such as sores or an area of skin that doesn't heal within four weeks, looks unusual, and hurts (such as being itchy, bleeds, crusts or scabs for more than four weeks). The charity advised to watch out for:
A sore that doesn't heal - The sore can look see through, shiny and pink or pearly white. It can also look red. It may feel sore, rough and have raised edges.
Ulcer - Look out for an area of skin that has broken down (an ulcer) and doesn't heal within 4 weeks, and you can't think of a reason for this change.
A lump - This might be small, slow growing, shiny and pink or red.
Red patches on your skin - These red patches could also be itchy. This could be due to other non cancerous skin conditions. But get it checked to make sure.
Freckles or moles - A change to a mole or freckle can be a sign of another type of skin cancer called melanoma.
