Tyler Blevins, the video game superstar generally known as Ninja, revealed this week that he has been diagnosed with melanoma, a type of skin cancer.
Mr. Blevins, 32, – he announced on Tuesday on social media that a couple of weeks ago, during his annual check-up at the dermatologist, he had a mole faraway from his foot.
“It’s a recurrence of melanoma, but doctors are optimistic that we detected it at an early stage,” he said.
In the post, Mr. Blevins wrote that a second dark spot was detected on his foot, which was also removed and is being checked, “with the hope that under the microscope there will be clear edges other than melanoma and we will know we have it.”
His huge online following led to a crossover in 2019, in the guise of a personality called “The Ice Cream Parlor”, on Fox’s competition show “The Masked Singer.” In 2018 played Fortnite with Ellen DeGeneres on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show.”
Skin cancer is common and sometimes survivable. Basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma, that are the most common forms of skin cancer, might be disfiguring but are rarely fatal.
Melanoma accounts for less than about 1 percent of all skin cancer diagnoses, nevertheless it causes the overwhelming majority of skin cancer deaths. American Cancer Society it was estimated that doctors would diagnose roughly 100,640 latest melanomas — about 59,170 in men and 41,470 in women — this 12 months in the United States, leading to about 8,290 deaths.
The risk increases with age, and lighter skin color can be a serious risk factor for melanoma. Early detection can result in effective treatment.
The average age of individuals diagnosed with this disease is 66 years. However, the most common kind of this disease is melanoma cancer in young adultsAccording to the American Cancer Society, especially young women between the ages of 20 and 39.
William Dahut, chief scientific officer of the American Cancer Society, said Wednesday that melanoma that happens on the palms of the hands, the soles of the feet or under the fingernails “is a rare type of melanoma.” He suggested that individuals use sunscreen and check their skin often, and seek the advice of a dermatologist in the event that they find anything suspicious.
“It’s a good idea to have a partner look at your back and the soles of your feet in a well-lit room or with a handheld light,” he said.
Mr Blevins said he would use his diagnosis to boost awareness of skin cancer.
“I’m grateful that I can hopefully find it early,” he wrote in his post, “but please consider this a PSA and go get a skin check.”