MP Chris Bryant treated for skin cancer in lung

Sir Chris Bryant, Labour's shadow creative industries minister, has urged people to take skin cancer seriously

A senior Labour MP has revealed he is having immunotherapy after his skin cancer returned.

Sir Chris Bryant was first treated for skin cancer on the back of his head five years ago, but in January a melanoma was found on his lung and removed.

He said the treatment was “tough” but he wanted to share his story to encourage others to protect themselves from the sun.

“Please, please, please take skin cancer seriously, if you’re in doubt about a mole get it checked out,” said the Rhondda MP.

He told Sky News that after his operation "there's no more cancer in me at the moment".

In a social media video, the shadow minister for the creative industries said: "Just over five years ago, my husband spotted an odd looking mole on the back of my head and I decided to take it to the doctor just to have it checked out.

"And thank goodness I did, because it turned out to be a melanoma, a particularly vicious form of skin cancer, and a late one at that - stage 3B."

He was given just a 40% chance of living a year but surgery and targeted therapy "dramatically improved" the outlook.

Regular scans every six months followed and he had been cancer free until he was told in January this year - on his 62nd birthday - that something had been found in his right lung.

"I was helping in the Kingswood by-election when the doctor rang me on my birthday", he said.

In the video, Sir Chris added: "Two weeks later, I was in the hospital bed, they put a robot in my lung, they cut the little bit out and it did turn out indeed to be a melanoma in my lung - not lung cancer, but skin cancer in my lung."

He said the immunotherapy was "tough" but "I have every hope of being completely cancer-free for the rest of my life".

Sir Chris urged people to "please protect yourself from the sun".

"All of this it's sun damage in the end and it can be avoided.

"So cover up, use high factor sun cream and make sure in particular kids are protected from the sun."