A MUM who used to spend hours trying to catch a tan as a teen now lives in constant fear she won’t see her daughter grow up.
Rebecca Turner, 44, was a sun-worshipper and often lay out with little to no protection – but later learned she’d made a deadly mistake.
Rebecca Turner used to spend hours in the sun without adequate protectionRebecca Turner
Rebecca TurnerThe mum spotted a red mark on her chest years later[/caption]
In December 2021, she noticed a small spot on her chest but as someone with dark hair and olive skin, she dismissed it as nothing.
It slowly grew into a red lump, however, and Rebecca, a nurse, was diagnosed with skin cancer six months later.
It took nine months to get it removed, but thankfully she is now living cancer free.
However, doctors have advised it could return at any point and spread throughout her body.
Rebecca is terrified her daughter, 21, will start her own family and she won’t be there to see it.
She is so worried about her uncertain future she has even planned her own funeral.
Rebecca, from the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales, said: “Initially, I thought nothing much when I found the mark, but then a red lump appeared in the middle of it and it grew rapidly.
“I really started to worry when it started itching and bleeding with dark patches.”
Rebecca visited her GP and was told she would hear back within a fortnight.
But weeks later, she hadn’t received any kind of update so she pushed for answers and was told by dermatologists in April 2022 that it was likely nothing to worry about.
A doctor then advised he would remove the lump because it was “bothersome”, and it wasn’t until June 17 that Rebecca discovered what was really going on.
“I assumed for all that time it was nothing sinister,” she said.
“But then I was told it was malignant melanoma. I was in shock.”
In the weeks that followed, Rebecca discovered there should never have been a delay in her getting diagnosed and having the tumour removed.
She also found out that the surgery hadn’t caught all the cancer so she required another procedure.
“I’d been left for 14 weeks with cancer still in situ when it should have been a two-week turnaround,” she added.
“I had a small on-the-spot surgery before the big one in September.
“Now I’m left with a seven-inch scar across the top of my chest and underneath my right arm.
“And because I’ve had three surgeries, they’ve taken so much tissue away that it has made my right breast smaller.”
I’m coming to the realisation that melanoma will probably be what kills me. I’m living on knife edge.
Rebecca Turner
She can’t be sure what caused her cancer, but Rebecca used sunbeds when she was younger and worked abroad as a holiday rep aged 19.
She also often spent time in the sun wearing factor 20 or below.
“I was naïve and wasn’t aware really of what kind of suncreams we should be using,” she said.
“We’d use things like carrot oil. But I’m olive skinned with dark hair and hazel eyes and I don’t really burn so I thought I was OK.”
Rebecca, who has Stage 2C melanoma, now has three-monthly checks with a dermatologist and a CT scan every six months.
She said: “I have no evidence of disease at the moment which is brilliant news, but what people don’t understand is that I’m never going to be clear of it.
“It can spread to any organ – commonly lungs, brain, kidneys, liver – but it can go anywhere.
“I might be fine for the next five years, but it may suddenly appear and reactivate.
“I’m so conscious. I’m single, in my 40s, and I don’t want my daughter to have all the rigmarole of dealing with what happens if I die.
“It sounds morbid, but I’ve already planned and paid for my funeral.
“I’m coming to the realisation that there’s a high chance I’m going to die of melanoma, where it’s in two, 10 or 20 years.
“That will probably be what kills me. I’m living on knife edge.”
‘I WAS NAIVE’
Rebecca has backed calls from Melanoma Focus, which is urging the government to remove the VAT for high-factor sunscreens to lower the cost for struggling consumers.
She thinks too many people, including her own family and friends, are buying low-quality creams because they are cheaper.
The mum, who has now developed a “fear” of the sun, said: “I wasn’t aware that in order to have adequate protection from things like skin cancer, lotions need to be at least UVA four stars and factor 30 or above.
“I would always just purchase whatever lotion was the cheapest, and I don’t think I ever wore over factor 20.”
CEO Susanna Daniels said: “Melanoma is the fifth most common cancer in the UK and the deadliest form of skin cancer.
“86% of melanomas are preventable and therefore wearing a high SPF sunscreen is a hugely important safety measure for protecting against it.
“We know that people are experiencing increasing pressures on their finances at the moment but, with skin cancer rates on the rise, the use of sunscreen should be a high priority.
“The government could help make skin protection more accessible to all, regardless of income level, by removing VAT.
“This would be a cost-effective way to cut the overall incidence of skin cancer and could help save lives.”
Rebecca TurnerThe nurse was diagnosed with skin cancer in June 2022[/caption]
Rebecca, from the Vale of Glamorgan, has already planned her own funeralRebecca Turner
Rebecca TurnerShe has a seven-inch scar across her chest and another under her right arm[/caption]
What are the signs of skin cancer?
SKIN cancer is one of the most common in the world.
There are two types – non-melanoma and melanoma.
The first sign of non-melanoma cancer is usually the appearance of a lump or discoloured patch of skin that persists for several weeks or years.
The main symptoms of melanoma skin cancer is a new mole, or changes to an existing one.
This could be an uneven shape or edges, a mix of colours, and an increase in size.