Deborah Meaden was diagnosed with skin cancer after her Dragon’s Den makeup artist spotted the blemish
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Deborah Meaden was diagnosed with skin cancer after her Dragon Den makeup artist noticed an unusual blemish on her skin.
- The Dragons’ Den star, 63, went to her doctor for a check-up and was later diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma, the second most common form of skin cancer.
- Deborah Reveals How She Was Incredibly Lucky She Caught Cancer Early
- The television star says she has to take more care when she is out in the sun and urges people to seek medical help if they are concerned
Deborah Meaden has praised her makeup artist for insisting she get tested for skin cancer after she noticed a blemish on her skin.
The 63-year-old Dragons Den star went to her doctor for a check-up and was later diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma, the second most common form of skin cancer.
Businessman told Vogue Williams taboo thing Podcast: ‘I Knew [how much the sun could damage my skin]I’m fairly fair-skinned but weirdly I never really burn and I think that was a problem for me.
Grateful: Deborah Meaden, 63, has praised her makeup artist for insisting she get tested for skin cancer after she noticed a blemish on her skin.
‘I thought I was immune to it… I thought, I might look fair, but apparently my skin can handle it. So when I realized that there was some damage I was a bit shocked.
She continued: ‘I was filming Dragons Den, and I didn’t get spots, but my makeup artist saw one that looked like [tiny little] Whitehead that was probably on my face for about six weeks.
‘ She kept saying, “That’s not right, Deborah”, and I thought, “Well, this is really weird, I don’t usually get spots”. I was going to Africa and I thought, before I leave, I just need that check out.
In Time: Deborah Reveals How She Was Incredibly Lucky She Caught Cancer Early (pictured in 2019)
‘I sent a picture to my doctor, who said it could be something, it might not, but it could be something. Then he made an appointment with me at a local hospital and I went with him and he said to me, “You’ve got a squamous one”.
Deborah described how she was incredibly lucky to have caught cancer early, admitting that she would not have been in a position to tell the story she is today if she had not sought medical help.
“When I say I was lucky, we caught it incredibly quickly,” she said.
‘I’m evangelical about telling people now, if you have a little weird pimple that won’t go, don’t think it’s a pimple.’
Honest: Television star says she has to take more care when she is out in the sun and urges people to seek medical help if they are concerned
‘I’ve always looked for moles, I know all the rules about moles, I’ve never looked for anything that really looked like whiteheads.
‘I would never have known if it wasn’t for Sue, thank goodness.’
The television star says she now has to take more care when she is out in the sun.
She frequently checks her skin for marks and is more aware of how sunlight can affect her health.
‘My predictive factor is 50,’ she explained. ‘I wear a hat when I’m out all the time, and watch my skin. I have regular skin check-ups all over my skin.
What is squamous cell carcinoma?
Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is an uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells in the upper layers of the skin.
It often looks like a raised growth with scaly red spots, open sores, central dips, or warts, all of which may crust or bleed.
If allowed to grow, they can become deformed or even deadly.
More than one million people are diagnosed with SCC each year in the US. Its UK prevalence is unclear.
SCC is mainly caused by excessive exposure to UV light from the sun or tanning beds.
People are more likely to suffer if they:
- have fair hair or skin
- work outdoors
- 50. are more than
- Have a personal or family history of illness
- have a suppressed immune system, such as in patients with chemotherapy or AIDS
Squamous cell carcinoma often looks like scaly red spots or open sores
Although SCC can occur anywhere on the body, it is most common in sun-exposed areas such as the face and hands.
SCCs seen at an early stage and removed promptly, are mostly treatable and cause minimal harm.
Treatment usually includes surgery to remove the growth, as well as radiotherapy and topical medications.
People can reduce their risk of developing the disorder by:
- wearing a high-factor sun cream that is applied at least every two hours, or more frequently, while swimming
- to cover up
- Looking for shade between 10 am to 4 pm
- not using uv tanning beds
Source: Skin Cancer Foundation
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