During Melanoma Awareness Month, it’s important to take the time to spot the subtle signs of the disease. 

A few months ago, John noticed a “wee brown spot” on his ear. 

“If you always had it, you would never pass heed,” he told Lunchtime Live. 

“It was a friend who said to me it could be melanoma. 

“It broke out of nowhere from a freckle, this wee brown block.” 

John said it was three or four months before he decided to get the spot checked. 

“So, I went to doctors [five weeks ago], and they were kind of worried about it... it turned out I had skin cancer.” 

Signs of melanoma

Common symptoms of melanoma include a new mole or a mole that suddenly gets bigger, a mole that develops a ragged or uneven outline and a mole with a mixture of different shades of brown, black or other colours through it. 

Moles are incredibly common on the body, and someone with a mole shouldn’t immediately assume the worst. 

Despite that, if you notice a new mole or one that doesn’t seem to be growing quite normally, it’s better to be safe than sorry. 

John, who is now undergoing treatment, pointed out he always had a freckle on his ear and wasn’t very concerned about the changing colour of it until a friend warned him. 

He also said, however, it’s better to avoid Googling images of symptoms and simply get checked if you’re concerned. 

Close up shot of a brown raised skin mole, which can be a cause for melanoma. Image: Kurt Pacaud / Alamy Stock Photo

Joan told the show she was diagnosed with melanoma 30 years ago while living in Australia, having noticed a tiny freckle appear on her leg. 

Her doctor initially dismissed the freckle, saying that it was likely due to her pregnancy, having just given birth to her son. 

Despite that, the large campaigns for melanoma awareness in Australia prompted Joan to continue investigating, at which point she was diagnosed. 

“The subliminal messages are constantly there,” she said. “Constantly telling you to be aware of this any change in your skin at all. 

“There’s none of that here, as far as I’m aware. 

“But it works – it worked on me.” 

Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer in Ireland, with over 13,000 new cases diagnosed every year. 

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