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Coleen Nolan has opened up on her experience with a skin cancer scare, while her sister Linda Nolan battles an incurable variation of the devastating disease.
Appearing as a panellist on the hit lunchtime ITV programme Loose Women, Coleen discussed her recent scare with melanoma which she said "hits you like a tonne of bricks". The star, 58, wanted to raise awareness for the signs and symptoms of skin cancer to help people recognise the signs to look out for.
Speaking with her co-stars, she said: “I’m sick of cancer”, referencing her sisters’ heartbreaking experiences with the disease. The bubbly presenter said her experience “seems like nothing compared to what my sisters have been through”.
The star discussed feelings of “guilt” over her cancer, and a desire to initially not tell anyone or add to her family’s worries. Coleen’s older sister Linda, 64, received her devastating diagnosis six years after their older sister Anne’s, and four years before sister Bernie’s.
Bernie tragically died from the disease in 2013, aged just 52, while Anne, 72, has since received the all-clear. Linda is still continuing her cancer journey and takes each day in her stride.
Coleen was able to receive treatment in the form of a cream, with her doctor explaining it would offer “a big reaction”. She said: “I’m glad he told me that”, as she wasn’t expecting to see such a dramatic result.
Upon investigating her skin, doctors spotted signs of melanoma. Coleen explained if they weren’t treated, in later life, it would spread and become cancer.
The former singer felt compelled to open up about her experience in a bid to raise awareness. Her work on ITV’s The Real Full Monty sees the popular panellist present as a host of celebrities strip off to highlight the importance of checking your body for cancer, recreating the iconic striptease from the classic British film the show gets its name from.
Coleen explained “the one thing we can keep putting out is awareness”, which gave her the push to discuss her experience, despite feeling she could be perceived as “dramatic”.
After concluding the discussion, co-panellist Brenda Edwards told her she was “really proud” of her for sharing something so personal, especially when she knew how “guilty” Coleen felt given her sisters’ battles with the disease.
Signs of skin cancer (non-melanoma)
According to the NHS, “skin cancer is one of the most common cancers in the world. Non-melanoma skin cancer refers to a group of cancers that slowly develop in the upper layers of the skin.
The term non-melanoma distinguishes these more common types of skin cancer from the less common skin cancer known as melanoma, which can be more serious.”
The disease affects more men than women, and is more common in the elderly. Signs to look out for include:
Moles that increase in size
An outline of a mole that becomes notched
A patch or mole that changes shape
A spot that won't heal
A spot that changes colour from brown to black, or is varied
A spot that becomes raised or develops a lump within it
The surface of a mole becoming rough, scaly or ulcerated
Moles that itch or tingle
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