The Canadian comedian went to the doctor months ago but was told she was ‘healthy’
Comedian Katherine Ryan has opened up about her second battle with skin cancer, having been diagnosed with early melanoma after she noticed a peculiar mole on her arm. Despite initial reassurances from doctors that she was in good health, Ryan’s persistence led to the discovery and removal of the cancerous mole, though further procedures are needed to ensure its complete removal.
The 41-year-old comic previously underwent surgery over two decades ago to remove a “golf ball-sized” area from her thigh after spotting a worrying sign during her student days in Toronto. It was this encounter with stage two melanoma that encouraged her to challenge her doctors’ assessments this time around.
Speaking on her Telling Everybody Everything podcast, Ryan shared: “If you know about melanoma, you’ll know it is a deadly form of skin cancer. It does spread quickly, and I just felt like this mole wasn’t right.”
Ryan had initially been told by a doctor that there was nothing wrong, which made it harder for her to insist on further tests when she was being given the all-clear. However, her insistence on additional testing may have been life-saving as her melanoma was diagnosed “very early”.
With “very fair Celtic skin” and more than 100 moles, Ryan knew something was amiss with this particular mole because it “kept changing”. To help others identify potentially dangerous moles, Cancer Research UK suggests using the ABCDE method as a guide.
Health experts emphasise the importance of recognising the ABCDE checklist used by doctors to identify early signs of melanoma, advising people to “See your doctor straight away if you are worried. If a mole looks very different or is much darker than others you have, you should get it checked. Even if you have none of the ABCDE signs.”
The criteria to watch for are:
- A – Asymmetrical
- B – Border
- C – Colour
- D – Diameter
- E – Evolving
Katherine was particularly alarmed by the ‘E’ aspect as her mole “kept changing”, which can manifest as alterations in size, shape, colour, bleeding, itching, crusting or other unusual changes. Typically, melanomas present with an asymmetrical shape and uneven, often blurred or ragged, edges.
Furthermore, melanomas may exhibit uneven colour distribution or multiple colours, whereas normal moles might display two hues but in a symmetrical pattern. They are generally larger, often 6mm across or more, unlike ordinary moles that typically don’t exceed the size of a pencil end.
Cancer Research UK further clarifies: “Most melanomas don’t give you symptoms like pain or itching. And some non cancerous (benign) moles or abnormal patches of skin can be itchy. So having some of these changes on their own doesn’t mean you definitely have melanoma. But you should still get it checked.”