ATOMIC Kitten’s Natasha Hamilton opened up about her skin cancer battle, revealing she was diagnosed with the disease after getting a persistent itchy spot on her back.
In an emotional Good Morning Britain interview, the singer, 42, revealed she’d had basal cell carcinoma (BCC).
BCC is the most common skin cancer type in the UK.
It begins in the basal cells — a type of cell within the skin that produces new skin cells as old ones die off – and is more likely to develop on skin regularly exposed to the sun, like the face, head or neck.
The cancer often tends to appear as a pearly lump, but it can also develop as a scar-like patch on the skin or rough, scaly growths.
Natasha initially mistook the diseased patch of skin as a mosquito bite.
She told her hosts Kate Garraway and Rob Rinder that she developed an itch after catching a bit too much sun while on holiday in Majorca.
Natasha said: “So I had been on holiday, I wasn’t actually in the sun a lot, my baby was only about five months old and I was breastfeeding.
“One afternoon I had her on my lap, my back was in the sun and I burnt.
“I don’t know if it was later that day or the next day, I had an itchy spot on my back.
“I felt it, I went “oh mosquito bite”.
‘It wasn’t until four weeks later when I was at home and it was itching I was like ‘hang on a minute, that seems a bit long for a mosquito bite’.
‘I asked my husband to have look and he went “oh that’s not a bite,” he took a picture.
Natasha revealed: “Originally it had just been a dark freckle that I’d had on my back for many years.
“It wasn’t even raised, it wasn’t a mole, it was just a freckle.”
The star sought specialist help and was diagnosed with BCC.
She was able to have the cancerous skin removed and is now living cancer-free.
But she revealed: “Now I have to be really vigilant, I have to check my skin all the time.
“Since then I’ve had a few things appear where I’ve had to go back to the dermatologist, they’re on the ‘watch list’.
“This is probably something I am going to have to keep an eye for the rest of my life,” Natasha said.
The 4 signs of BCC
When you think of signs of skin cancer, a mole probably comes to mind.
This is usually the case with melanoma, the deadliest form of the disease.
But non-melanoma skin cancer – which includes BCC – can manifest in other more subtle ways.
According to Macmillan Cancer Support, a BCC might have some of these features:
- A smooth, firm lump that may be pearly, pink, red, brown or black – on black or brown skin, it is more likely to be pearly, brown or black
- A lump that is sunken in the middle like a crater
- A flat patch of scaly, crusty or irritated skin
- A scar-like area of pale, shiny skin
This type of skin cancer tends to be painless but it can cause itchiness or bleeding.
Over time, a BCC may develop into an open sore that does not heal.
Any part of your skin can be affected, but it’s most common in areas exposed to the sun, such as the:
- Head, face and ears
- Neck and shoulders
- Back
- Hands
- Lower legs
BCCs mainly people with fair skin, but those with other skin types may also be at risk, according to the British Skin Foundation.
Those with the highest risk of developing a basal cell carcinoma are:
- People with pale skin who burn easily and rarely tan
- Those who have had a lot of exposure to the sun, such as people with outdoor hobbies or outdoor workers, and people who have lived in sunny climates
- People who have used sun beds or have regularly sunbathed.
- People who have previously had a basal cell carcinoma
Almost all cases of BCC can be cured and it’s almost never a danger to life, according to the charity.
However, if a BCC is not treated early, it may get larger and may be more likely to come back.
Treatment can include surgically removing the affected area of skin.
Melanoma vs. non-melanoma skin cancer
There are two main types of skin cancer – non melanoma skin cancer and melanoma skin cancer.
Non melanoma skin cancer includes:
- Basal cell skin cancer – this is also called basal cell carcinoma (BCC)
- Squamous cell skin cancer – this is also called squamous cell carcinoma (SCC)
- Some other rare types
Non melanoma skin cancers tend to develop most often on skin that’s exposed to the sun. There is a high cure rate for these cancers.
Most people only have minor surgery and don’t need further treatment.
Melanoma skin cancer is when abnormal cells in the skin start to grow and divide in an uncontrolled way.
It starts in skin cells called melanocytes. These cells are in the deep layer of the epidermis.
Around 17,500 people are diagnosed with melanoma skin cancer in the UK each year. The number of people diagnosed has increased over the last few decades.
Melanoma skin cancer is the fifth most common cancer in the UK.
Source: Cancer Research UK
