Julian Lennon, son of the late John Lennon, shared on an Instagram post that he was recently treated for skin cancer for a second time.

 

This week, the 61-year-old musician and photographer informed fans that he had undergone surgery on two areas on his shoulder and forearm; one of these turned out to be melanoma, an aggressive type of skin cancer that is more likely to spread.

 

 

Lennon wrote that he had visited his dermatologist, Tess Mauricio, MD, for a routine checkup while in Los Angeles during a press tour for his latest photography book. Once back home in New York, he received an urgent message from Mauricio asking him to return to LA for emergency surgery.

 

On Instagram, Lennon explained that this is the second time he has had skin cancer and thanked Mauricio for treating his cancer in the past.

 

“My lovely dermatologist [was] the one who caught and operated on my mole/skin cancer a few years ago, and literally saved my life,” he wrote.

 

Although the aim of surgery is to prevent melanoma from returning, as many as half of all people treated for melanoma will have a recurrence.

 

Lennon said the operation was a success and that he is waiting to receive results from a biopsy. He also shared photographs of his skin before and after surgery.

 

Melanoma is a cancer that starts in melanocytes, or pigment-producing cells, usually in the skin. Rates of melanoma have been rising over the past few decades. In fact, it is the third most diagnosed cancer among people ages 25 to 39 in the United States. This year, about 100,640 people in the United States will be diagnosed with melanoma, according to the American Cancer Society.

 

The risk of melanoma increases as people age. The average age at diagnosis is 66. This doesn’t mean melanoma is not uncommon among people younger than 30. In fact, melanoma is one of the most common cancers in young adults, especially young women.

 

Early detection and treatment of melanoma increases the likelihood of long-term survival, which Lennon emphasized in his post.

 

“Obviously good news would be the best Christmas present ever, which I’m hopeful for,” he wrote. “But I just want to say, this is also a timely reminder to all to please get yourself checked out by your doctor. It only takes a short while to do so, and you may just be saving your own life.”

 

To learn more, click Cancer Health’s Basics on Melanoma. It reads in part:

 

What are the risk factors for melanoma?

The main risk factor for skin cancer is exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun or tanning beds. People who spend a lot of time outdoors and individuals with blond or red hair and pale skin are at greatest risk. Blistering sunburns at a young age increase the lifetime risk of melanoma. Avoiding the sun, wearing a hat and clothes that cover the skin and using sunscreen can reduce the likelihood of developing melanoma. However, melanoma can also develop on mucosal surfaces that get little or no sun exposure.

 

People with certain types of abnormal or atypical moles are more likely to develop melanoma, but most moles do not become cancerous. Other risk factors include a family history of melanoma and having a weakened immune system.

 

What are the symptoms of melanoma?

The most common sign of melanoma is an unusual mole or dark spot on the skin, but most moles are not cancer. New or changing moles should be reported to your doctor. Look for moles that have these characteristics: 

 

A: asymmetrical moles

B: moles with irregular or ragged borders

C: moles that contain different colors

D: moles that are more than a quarter inch in diameter

E: moles that are evolving, or changing in size, shape or appearance

 

Other warning signs of melanoma include redness or swelling around a mole, oozing or bleeding moles, pain or itching and sores that don’t heal.