DANIELLE Lloyd has shared graphic photos alongside a candid health update to raise awareness of skin cancer – admitting her cancerous patch was smaller than a 5p coin.
Model Danielle, 41, underwent an operation after being diagnosed with a form of skin cancer several weeks ago.
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She had an operation to remove a cancerous patch from just above her collarbone, after spotting a change in a small freckle.
She said the freckle was “smaller than a five pence coin” but had started to raise alarm bells after she saw how much it had evolved over time.
She responded to one fan in the comments: “Mine was melenoma which was sun damage x”.
Danielle admitted she believed her tanned skin tone gave her some protection from cancer.
She admitted she rarely wore sunscreen with a high SPF, saying: “Honestly, if I did, it was very low factor as I go so brown very quickly. I never thought my skin tone could get skin cancer and if I did anyone can”.
The mum also said she had ditched sunbeds for the first time in her life.
Posting the update to her fans, Danielle urged others to be vigilant about any skin changes, especially those that may seem minor at first glance.
She said in the comments: “I used to be a total sun worshiper, never really thinking about the risk of skin cancer.
“Sunbeds before holidays? Absolutely! But now, I’ve decided it’s better to fake the glow because my health and being there for my kids are what truly matter.
“I’m still waiting on the results from my second operation”.
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Danielle was pictured going for a spray tan at Exclusive Beauty Spa in Sutton Coldfield, adding: “I’m keeping my spirits up and pledging to keep my skin safe from those pesky UV rays in the future!”
She shared graphic images of the area post-surgery, showing stitches and bruising from the procedure, and stressed the importance of early detection.
Danielle previously explained she only noticed the difference after looking back at old holiday photos, where the mark appeared noticeably darker and had changed in shape.
The TV personality said she was “really shocked” to receive the news and would need to have an operation to determine if it has spread.
The mother-of-five used the opportunity to encourage others to see a doctor if they have noticed changes to their skin or body which could be a sign of cancer.
In the emotional video, she said: “I don’t really know how to say this and I didn’t know whether to come on and say this but I just feel like I have to raise awareness about this happening to other people.
“Today I have been diagnosed with a form of skin cancer.
What is melanoma, what are the symptoms and how can you prevent it?
Melanoma is the most serious type of skin cancer that has a tendency to spread around the body.
It is diagnosed 16,000 times per year, and tragically takes the lives of 2,340 people per year.
The number of people being diagnosed with melanoma is increasing, and it is the 5th most common cancer in the UK.
But it is also one of the most preventable cancers, with 86 per cent of cases in the UK avoidable.
The best way to protect yourself from melanoma is to be sun safe – wear SPF every day, wear a hat and sunglasses and keep out of the sun in the hottest hours. It is also advised to avoid sunbeds.
People who are fair-skinned, have blue or green eyes, blonde or red hair and a large number of freckles or moles are more likely to get skin cancer.
Surgery is the main treatment for melanoma, particularly if it is found early. This will involve removing the affected tissue in the skin.
Radiotherapy, medicines and chemotherapy are also sometimes used to try and stop the cancer from growing. Treatment depends on the severity of the disease.
What are the symptoms?
The key thing to look out for are changes to an existing mole, or a new mole on your skin.
Most experts recommend using the simple “ABCDE” rule to look for symptoms of melanoma skin cancer, which can appear anywhere on the body.
There are five letters/words to remember:
- Asymmetrical – melanomas usually have two very different halves and are an irregular shape
- Border – melanomas usually have a notched or ragged border
- Colours – melanomas will usually be a mix of two or more colours
- Diameter – most melanomas are usually larger than 6mm in diameter
- Enlargement or elevation – a mole that changes size over time is more likely to be a melanoma
A mole that changes size, shape or colour may be a melanoma.
But other signs to look out for include moles that are:
- Swollen and sore
- Bleeding
- Itchy
- Crusty
How deadly is it?
Melanoma is a deadly form of skin cancer.
The outlook of a person’s disease depends on the stage of the cancer when it was diagnosed.
Survival is better for women than it is for men.
“We don’t know exactly why this is. It may be because women are more likely to see a doctor about their melanoma at an earlier stage,” says Cancer Research UK.
The charity says that generally, statistics show that in England, more than 85 out of every 100 people (more than 85 per cent) will survive their melanoma for 10 years or more after they are diagnosed.
- Around 100 per cent in England diagnosed with melanoma at stage 1 – when the cancer cells are only in the top layer of skin – will survive for five years or more after diagnosis.This drops to 80 per cent for stage 2.
- Some 70 per cent live for a further five years when they are diagnosed in stage 3, which is when the cancer has started to spread to nearby lymph nodes.
- At stage 4, when the melanoma has spread elsewhere in the body, almost 30 per cent survive their cancer for 5 years or more.
Cancer Research says the stage 4 data does not account for age differences. Age can affect outlook and younger people have a better prognosis than older people.
Age can affect outlook and younger people have a better prognosis than older people.
What is melanoma?
Melanocytes are cells in the skin that give us the colour of our skin because they produce a pigment, known as melanin.
When you sit in the sun, melanocytes produce more pigment (a sun tan), which spreads to other skin cells to protect them from the sun’s rays.
But melanocytes are also where cancer starts.
Too much UV causes sunburn, and this is a sign of damage to the skin’s DNA.
The UV triggers changes in the melanocytes, which makes the genetic material become faulty and cause abnormal cell growth.
People who burn easily are more at risk of skin cancer because their cells do not produce as much pigment to protect their skin.
Those with albinism are at the most risk because their skin produces no pigment at all.
“And I just want to raise awareness for anyone who might think they’ve got something funny on their body, they see a mole that’s growing that’s not normal – please, please, please go to your doctor because honestly, you just never know.”
Danielle said the Macmillan nurses at the hospital had “really supported” her after being “shocked” by the health news.
She added: “Just honestly, not what I expected today. And I suppose not what anyone expects.
“But please guys look after your skin. Stay off sunbeds, wear factor 50. Just look after yourself because honestly you never know what’s going to happen.”
The appearance of a lump or discoloured patch on the skin that continues to persist after a few weeks can be a sign of a form of skin cancer according to the NHS website.
A new mole or a change in an existing mole may also be signs of skin cancer.
Danielle rose to prominence as a beauty queen who was crowned Miss England 2004 and later Miss Great Britain 2006.
In 2007, she featured on the fifth series of the reality show Celebrity Big Brother.
She made it to the final three of Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins in 2023 alongside singer Gareth Gates and former health secretary Matt Hancock, but missed out on completing the course at the final stage.
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