A TEENAGE boy has been diagnosed with incurable cancer which has spread to other organs after being sunburned on holiday.
Charlie Watson, 19, was told he had malignant melanoma – the deadliest form of skin cancer – and that his treatment options were limited.
5
The semi-professional footballer, from Dumfries and Galloway in Scotland, first spotted a wart on his stomach after returning from a men’s holiday in Magaluf, where he was sunburned “badly”.
The worrying mark grew to around 2.5 centimeters before breaking away – Charlie had the rest of it removed from his body in October 2023.
The mole was examined – and its results revealed that he had nodular malignant melanoma, a dangerous and fast-growing type of skin cancer.
Recounting her son’s devastating diagnosis, Charlie’s mother Amanda Woods, 41, said: “It was a shock to us all.”
The youngster, who Amanda described as “typical” and “very active”, plays for Queen of South FC Reserves.
“In fact, we never thought for a minute that this mole could be malicious,” she added.
“Now we have been told there is no cure for this horrible disease.”
Although the cause of Charlie’s cancer has not been confirmed, Amanda says that after turning 18, Charlie regularly used sunbeds and often forgot to use sunscreen outside.
She said: “When it was in Magaluf it burned badly.
“The mole appeared after he returned from holiday and he used sunbeds frequently at the time.
“A lot of young people use them to look tanned, but I don’t think people understand all the risks.”
After his cancer diagnosis, Charlie was also told that he carried the BRAF gene – a variation that can cause cancer to grow faster and more aggressively.
“Hearing that was horrible, it was like a never-ending nightmare,” Amanda said.
My heart was in my mouth, just talking about it now makes me feel physically sick
Amanda Madeiras,
Charlie underwent surgery at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary before being told his cancer had spread to the lymph nodes under his armpit.
Last month, a regular CT scan revealed that the disease had spread to his lungs and liver, moving his condition to stage 4.
“We were told there is nothing they can do and there is no cure for this,” Amanda recalled.
5
5
“My heart was in my mouth, just talking about it now makes me feel physically sick.”
TRYING TO FIND A CURE
His mother has begged doctors to find out if there is anything else they can do, but Charlie’s options are very limited.
“It’s devastating, up until now he’s been a typical, fit and healthy teenager,” she added.
Meanwhile, Amanda has been raising funds through a GoFundMe page to pay for any potential clinical trials if Charlie does not respond well to his current treatment.
She said: “If Charlie does not respond well to immunotherapy, we are aware that clinical trials could cost hundreds of thousands.
“Trials are very expensive, but they are the way forward to find a cure.
“There is no amount of money in the world that a mother wouldn’t try to raise to try to find a cure for her child.”
‘THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A SAFE TAN’
Dr. Rachel Orritt, Cancer research in the UK Health Information Manager, said: “In the UK, around nine in 10 cases of melanoma skin cancer are caused by ultraviolet (UV) exposure from the sun and solariums.
“There is no tanning safe against UV radiation – it doesn’t matter if it’s in the sun or on a sunbed.
“Using sunbeds is not safe and Cancer Research UK recommends that people do not use them.”
She added: “When it comes to the sun, the best way to enjoy it safely is to use shade, clothing and sunscreen together to protect your skin.
“In the UK, the sun is strongest between 11am and 3pm, and from mid-March to mid-October.
“So think about shade, covering yourself with clothing, a hat and sunglasses with UV protection, and using sunscreen with at least SPF 30 and 4 or 5 stars.
“If you notice a mark or wart on your skin or nail that is not normal for you, talk to your doctor.
“It probably won’t be cancer, but if it is, detecting it at an early stage means treatment is more likely to be successful.”
5
Can you identify cancerous spots from harmless ones?
IF you’ve spotted a new wart or persistent mark on your skin, don’t be too quick to dismiss it.
It’s important to know what your skin normally looks like to help you notice any unusual changes.
The ABCDE rule can be followed to assess the health of a mole.
If your mole falls into the following, it’s worth checking:
- ONEsymmetrical – melanomas usually have two very different halves and are irregular in shape
- Border – melanomas usually have a notched or irregular border
- Wcolors – melanomas are usually a mixture of two or more colors
- Ddiameter – most melanomas are usually more than 6 mm in diameter
- ANDexpansion or andelevation – a mole that changes size over time is more likely to be melanoma
Most melanomas do not have symptoms such as pain or itching.
Meanwhile, some non-cancerous moles or abnormal patches on the skin can be itchy.
So having some of these changes alone doesn’t mean you definitely have melanoma, but you should still get tested.
There are two main types of skin cancer – non-melanoma skin cancer and melanoma skin cancer.
Non-melanoma skin cancer includes:
- Basal cell skin cancer – also called basal cell carcinoma
- Squamous cell skin cancer – also called squamous cell carcinoma
There are a few different types of melanoma as well:
- Superficial spreading melanoma
- Nodular melanoma
- Lentigo maligna melanoma
Learn more about how to tell moles apart here
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
