Claire Turner is a 43-year-old mother from the United Kingdom. Claire and her family went on a road trip for a weekend away. They were en route in their car, when Claire turned around to pass a croissant to her daughter. Suddenly, she felt a sharp pain emanating from her right shoulder. Worrying that she had pulled a muscle, Claire visited her doctor to have the pain checked out. However, she was extremely shocked when it turned out to be cancer.
Claire’s Unexpected Cancer Diagnosis
At first, the doctors suspected that Claire had torn a ligament. However, she started to get concerned when she observed a large lump on her shoulder. It eventually grew so painful that she was not even able to wear undergarments or carry bags on her shoulder. After several hospital trips and a biopsy, it was discovered that Claire had developed stage four melanoma, a type of skin cancer.
A Warning to Others
Claire has now made it her mission to warn other people about the dangers of UV rays emitted by sunbeds. Claire used these sunbeds in her 20s and now believes that they caused the skin cancer. According to Cancer Research UK, the annual average of melanoma cancer diagnoses was 19,300 from 2020 to 2022. However, it predicts that this number will increase to 20,800 this year. Men seem to be more susceptible to the condition, with the number of new diagnoses tripling in men, while doubling in women.
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The Blessing of an Early Diagnosis
Less than half of individuals suffering from stage four melanoma survive for more than five years following diagnosis. Therefore, it’s no surprise that Claire regards her shoulder ‘injury’ as a blessing in disguise. When she passed her daughter the croissant, she was instantly shocked by the pain she felt in her shoulder. She tried to just carry on with her day as normal, but soon realized she couldn’t even carry her bag or lean back on her shoulder. After returning from the trip, she visited her doctor to get an x-ray. However, the x-ray revealed nothing serious, and she was given a few painkillers to manage what they assumed was a torn ligament.
From X-ray to MRI Scans
Initially, it seemed to Claire that her shoulder was healing, but she decided to visit her doctor once again after the swelling resumed. AT first, she was just told by her doctor that shoulders typically take a while to heal. However, she returned once again and MRI scans were performed. The results of the scan led to Claire being referred to a specialist cancer clinic. This took a toll on her mental health in addition to her physical health. Regarding this period, she has stated, “I went on a spiral over Christmas. It was awful, and I was expecting the worst. It’s the lowest I’ve felt in the whole journey.”
After the Cancer Diagnosis
Claire was eventually given the cancer diagnosis, which naturally left her in a state of pure disbelief. She had always associated melanoma with noticeable symptoms like a suspicious mole or a skin lesion. Her doctor then told her that her chances of surviving the cancer were evenly split at 50/50. While most melanoma cases typically originate with a visible mole, about three percent of cases lack this initial clue, only being identified after the cancer has already begun to spread throughout the body.
A Hidden Cancer Danger
Medical experts have stated that they believe the mole may have shrunk and vanished without being noticed. This illustrates that a shrinking mole should be considered a warning sign that requires medical attention. Claire’s nurse has suggested that there could have perhaps been an initial mark on her skin that her body naturally healed. However, during that time, cancer cells likely spread throughout her body, eventually forming new tumors.
Grateful She Had It Checked Out
Claire had to discontinue her immunotherapy treatment in August due to various health complications. These issues included inflammation in her optic nerve and pituitary gland. Despite this setback, Claire has expressed her gratitude for receiving the diagnosis in time. She shared that her nurse had revealed an eye-opening fact: a decade ago, a diagnosis like hers would have meant she only had six to seven months left to live. As you can imagine, hearing this was a sobering reminder of how far treatments have advanced and how lucky she is.
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Claire’s Current Health Status
Claire then went for additional scans which revealed that she had developed tumors in her leg, liver, shoulder, and buttock muscles. However, these were thankfully shrinking or starting to disappear completely. Claire’s body is full of little moles, but she makes sure to get them all checked out. Perhaps her story will encourage you to do the same. An early diagnosis of skin cancer can mean the difference between life and death.