Mum's health warning as mole turned out to be cancer

Former sunworshipper Claire Brooks would douse herself in low factor tanning oil and even hair gel in her twenties in a bizarre bid to achieve the darkest tan she could.

The 38-year-old would use sunbeds up to four times a week and inject herself with tanning jabs to get a bronzed look.

The mum-of-two said she believed she was 'invincible' at that age - until she spotted a brown mole appear on her left leg in April 2022.

Former sunworshipper Claire Brooks would douse herself in low factor tanning oil and even hair gel in her twenties in a bizarre bid to achieve the darkest tan she could. (Image: Kennedy News and Media) Claire, who works in recruitment, said she was dismissed twice by her doctors over concerns that the suspicious-looking mole was growing in size.

It wasn't until September of that year, when the mole had grown to the size of a 5p, that Claire insisted it be removed and doctors diagnosed her with melanoma.

Claire underwent surgery to remove the melanoma and was told she was cancer-free but two years later she felt a lump in her stomach and was told her cancer had returned.

Two surgeries later, the cancer has been removed but she has to undergo preventative immunotherapy over the next year to prevent it coming back.

Claire, who described the mole she had removed 'ugly' in a Facebook post, said her yearning for a tan 'isn't worth' the difficult cancer journey she's faced over the last two years.

Claire, from Wakefield, West Yorkshire, said: "As soon as I got old enough to go on holiday on my own, I was a massive sun worshipper.

"I used to use the lowest factor oil and hair gel when that was a thing - they used to say it would make you go browner.

"I went on the sunbeds three or four times a week. It wasn't every single week without fail but it was definitely often, and at least twice a week. I used tanning injections too.

"It was just a confidence thing. In that era, everyone wanted to be tanned - all the celebrities were tanned, it was just the aesthetic to go for and I followed the trend.

"At that age, I thought I was invincible. Everyone was doing it. There weren't any reports of risks at that time. If anything, it was actively encouraged."

Claire, who stopped using sunbeds around 10 years ago, went to her GP when she first spotted a suspicious-looking mole on the shin of her right leg in April 2022.

Despite the mole being dismissed as 'nothing' twice, Claire insisted that it be removed after it grew to the size of a 5p coin.

Claire said: "I went back to the doctors and said I wanted it removing. They removed it and sent it away to be tested and told me it was Stage 2b melanoma in November.

"I was in complete shock. Cancer is something that happens to other people. I was 37 and thought it wasn't possible."

After the shock diagnosis, Claire underwent surgery to remove the mole and six lymph nodes in January 2023 - after which she was told all the cancer was gone.

Claire said: "I thought everything would be okay after that. In June, we were out paddleboarding when I felt a lump in my stomach and thought it was a hernia.

"I got someone to get in touch with my specialist and after that it was quickly discovered it was melanoma.

"I wasn't shocked. When I felt the lump and felt it was growing, I knew what it was. I had prepared myself for it."

Claire underwent two further surgeries to remove the stage 4 melanoma but will have to undergo immunotherapy to ensure the cancer doesn't return.

Claire said: "I've thought many times that I'm not going to live past five years, there's a massive risk it could come back.

"I'd be stupid not to be concerned about the future. I've gone through all the emotions of thinking about making recordings for my daughter's 18th birthday in case I'm not there.

"I think the tanning injections have played a big part in it and years of sunbed abuse. None of it was worth it just for a tan and to look nice in a tan.

"For people that still go on sunbeds, I just think 'why?' it's not worth it. The fake tans are so amazing these days. It's just irresponsible, especially if you have kids.

"If you have moles, what harm is it doing to get them checked? If you leave it too long, you may have to go through a lot worse.

"If I hadn't been a person that advocates for themselves, it's quite scary what could've happened."

What is Melanoma?

The NHS says that melanoma is a type of skin cancer that can spread to other organs in the body.

The most common sign of melanoma is the appearance of a new mole or a change in an existing mole. This can happen anywhere on the body, but the most commonly affected areas are the back in men and the legs in women.

In most cases, melanomas have an irregular shape and are more than one colour. The mole may also be larger than normal and can sometimes be itchy or bleed. Look out for a mole that gradually changes shape, size or colour.

In most cases, once the melanoma has been removed there's little possibility of it returning and no further treatment should be needed. Most people (80 to 90%) are monitored for one to five years and are then discharged with no further problems.