The nurse, from Dallas, Texas, didn’t give much thought to the small black mark on her hip until it started to itch and bleed. After a doctor’s examination in late 2020, Ilia learned that her supposed birthmark was 2B melanoma – a deadly form of skin cancer. Stage two melanoma, Cancer Research UK says, means there are no signs that the disease has spread to the lymph nodes or another part of the body.
Stage 2B, which Ilia had, means the lesion was between 2mm and 4mm thick.
Moreover, the outermost layer of skin covering the tumour looks broken under the microscope (ulcerated).
Alternatively, for a stage 2B diagnosis, the melanoma is thicker than 4mm and is not ulcerated.
“I just loved being out in the sun,” Ilia told Today, but since her cancer scare, she’s committed to wearing SPF50 sunscreen every day.
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The 42-year-old required surgery to have her tumour removed, ridding her of the disease.
However, now that Ilia has had skin cancer, she is more at risk of further cancer lesions appearing on her skin.
Melanoma skin cancer
Cancer Research UK explains that melanoma begins in the skin cells called melanocytes.
“These cells are in the deep layer of the epidermis between the layer of basal cells,” the charity elaborates.
When UV radiation from the sun causes sunburn on the skin that means there has been damage to the DNA in the skin cells.
The charity adds: “Over time, enough DNA damage can cause cells to grow out of control and lead to cancer.”
Around 16,700 people are diagnosed with melanoma in the UK each year; it’s the fifth most common cancer in the UK.
Symptoms of melanoma
Any change to a mole, freckle or a normal patch of skin should be checked over by a doctor.
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Also notify your doctor if a lesion is itching, painful, if it’s bleeding, or if it’s crusty.
It’s also recommended to seek expert advice if any lesion looks inflamed, or if there is an unusual mark or lump that has persisted for a few weeks.
Do book a doctor’s appointment if “you have a dark area or line under the nail that is not due to an injury”.
Now that Ilia has had her cancer removed, she has words of wisdom for others.
Ilia said: “Look at yourself. Make sure those little moles or birthmarks or freckles are not changing because those are the things that you want to watch out for.”
