Kendal woman talks about her melanoma diagnosis at 24

Yet when Laura Stainton, now 26, woke up one morning to see that her mole had changed appearance overnight, she knew that something was wrong. 

She noticed that it had changed colour and felt hard so sent a picture to her GP straight away and she was seen for a biopsy

At the time, she was 24. 

To receive her surgery, Laura had to isolate for two weeks and submit COVID tests. 

"It was a surreal experience. I didn't feel the emotion at the time, I was very-business like. It was my family who suffered." 

Laura with her boyfriend

She has now shared her story as May marks Skin Cancer Awareness Month.

Laura was lucky to receive a formal diagnosis. A lot of young people get turned away from the doctor's and she ticked none of the boxes on her form.

"I have no family history of cancer, I'd never used a sunbed," she said. "The mole is meant to be at least the size of a pencil rubber but mine was smaller." 

It turned out that she had stage three melanoma. That means that the cancer had spread to her lymph nodes. 

However by the time she had her second operation by December 2020, the doctors announced that there was no evidence of disease. 

It was then that the emotional toll of her experience started to kick in. 

"My anxiety got really bad after that, and it's still there two years on," she said.

"If I get a headache now I think it might be related."

Laura used CBT therapy to help her manage her anxiety. 

Throughout her treatment and diagnosis she was plagued with comments suggesting she had been taking risks in the sun/on sunbeds but Laura has always worn SPF and has never used sunbeds and wants to share her story to help others check and look after their skin.

“I have never used sunbeds or worshipped the sun so I never expected it to be stage three cancer caused by a mole that changed overnight," she said.

"If there’s anything on or in your body that doesn’t feel right I would urge you to get checked out. It is better to be over-cautious than overlook something that could be as deadly as cancer. Having cancer really impacted my mental health and the support I received from Teenage Cancer Trust (especially through my outreach nurse), therapy and exercise got me through my worst days.

"I have to be more careful. I have to wear factor 50 suncream every day, even in the winter."

There are physical impacts as well that will always stay with her. 

Laura now has 11 scars all over her body, including one on her knee which has caused her to lose some flexibility however she is relieved that she noticed her mole had changed and immediately sought help, as by doing so she prevented the cancer from spreading even further than her nodes in her groin

She said the Teenage Cancer Trust was very supportive to her.

"I had four weeks off work while I was sick from the operation," she said.

"I was invited to attend online sessions and I made friends with people. I'd never met anyone that also had cancer before." 

She gave advice to other young people that might have cancer.

"Betwen the ages of 18-24 seven young people are diagnosed with cancer every day," she said. Go to a GP if there is anything that is bothering you." 

You should contact your GP if you have a mole that: 

·       gets bigger 

·       changes shape 

·       has a blurred, rough or jagged outline 

·       gets darker or red 

·       has more than one colour in it 

·       gets itchy or painful 

·       gets crusty or bleeds.