Answering the questions of sharp-eyed fans who noticed that she was wearing face bandages recently, Khloé Kardashian just shared some news about her health: she recently had a tumour removed from her face — nearly 20 years after she had surgery for melanoma on her back when she was 19.
As Global News reports, The Kardashians star opened up about her health scare on her Instagram story on Tuesday. “I have seen numerous stories going around about the ever-evolving bandage on my face with some of you wondering why I’ve been wearing one for the past few weeks,” Kardashian wrote.
“After noticing a small bump on my face and assuming it was something as minor as a zit, I decided to get it biopsied 7 months after realizing it was not budging,” she added.
Kardashian, 38, who recently welcomed her second child with ex Tristan Thompson, went on to share images of the tumour. She explained that she had two biopsies and that her doctors told here that the tumour was “incredibly rare” for someone her age.
“A few days later I was told I need to have an immediate operation to remove a tumor from my face,” she wrote, adding that the surgery was successful and that her margins now appear clear as she heals, though she will likely have a scar in the spot.
See also: Does eating fish raise the risk of skin cancer? A new study suggests it’s possible.
Check your skin regularly — even if you’re young
In her story, Kardashian urged her fans to take skin health seriously and to schedule checkups.
“I am someone who wears sunscreen every single day, so no one is exempt from these things,” she wrote. “Please take this seriously and do regular self-exams as well as your annual checkups.”
While she appears to be healing and hopefully will recover fully, Kardashian’s scare highlights how common skin cancer is (in fact, this week The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills alum Teddi Mellencamp shared a stage 2 melanoma diagnosis). According to the Canadian Skin Cancer Foundation, more than 80,000 people are diagnosed with skin cancer every year, and more than 5,000 of those cases are melanoma). While melanoma can be deadly, early detection can dramatically improve outcomes, with the five-year survival rate for melanoma being 99 per cent if detected early.
It’s also important to note that Millennials and Gen Z may need extra caution when it comes to skin cancer. According to the Canadian Skin Cancer Foundation, Canadians who were born in the 1990s have 2-3 times higher risk of getting skin cancer in their lifetime than those who were born in the 1960s. So it’s a good reminder to keep applying your SPF and get regular checkups.
