'Skin cancer diagnosis was a really big shock'

Sharon McLucas said she had a "gut instinct" that something was wrong before she was diagnosed with a malignant melanoma

A woman who was diagnosed with a malignant melanoma is urging islanders to take skin protection seriously.

The warning comes after a report found non-melanoma skin cancer was the most common cancer across the Channel Islands, and Jersey had higher rates of skin cancer than Guernsey and England.

Sharon McLucas, 55, from St Helier, said she had a "gut instinct" something was wrong when she noticed a change on her leg just before Christmas in 2021.

She said it was a "real big shock" after she was diagnosed with the aggressive form of skin cancer.

A spot on her leg turned out to be a malignant melanoma

Her diagnosis was confirmed within a week following a biopsy.

"It was a real big shock to me because I didn't fully understand it," she said.

She had hoped its removal would be over quickly but "unfortunately it wasn't".

In February 2022, Sharon underwent a second procedure to ensure all cancerous cells had been removed.

"They needed to check they had clear margins," she said.

"Thankfully, they did - but melanoma spreads quickly, so I've had to be monitored very closely."

Monitoring included regular CT scans with contrast, blood tests, and ultrasounds of her lymph nodes - a routine she said became "a big change" in her life.

Ms McLucas believes campaigns promoting skin cancer awareness in Jersey still lagged behind other preventative health efforts.

Figures between 2020 and 2022 show Jersey recorded an average of 1,032 cancers a year - 41% of them non-melanoma skin cancers, a rate higher than Guernsey's at 36%.

"We talk a lot about breast cancer, we talk a lot about prostate cancer - do we talk enough about skin cancer? No definitely not."

Ms McLucas said: "We talk a lot about breast cancer, we talk a lot about prostate cancer - do we talk enough about skin cancer? No definitely not.

"The general public just isn't aware enough of how dangerous it is. You must get your skin checked."