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twitch streamer ninja diagnosed with skin cancer: how to spot the signs of melanoma and the latest treatments

melanoma is often the most dangerous type of skin cancer because it can spread fast. it typically occurs within moles that already exist on the body.

twitch gamer extraordinaire ninja releases psa to "get skin checkups" after melanoma diagnosis. getty images
twitch streamer tyler “ninja” blevins, who’s amassed 19 million followers on the platform after gaining popularity for his work on fortnite, recently revealed on x that he had a mole removed that turned out to be melanoma, with a second spot being biopsied. in the wake of his results, the high-status gamer sent out a public service announcement to “get skin checkups” because early detection is vital when it comes to cancer, especially melanoma.
melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, starts in the cells that give skin its hue, called melanocytes. it’s a fast-growing cancer, and once it develops, it can take as little as six weeks for it to become life-threatening.
like all other cancers, melanoma has the potential to spread, albeit faster than other skin cancers, but getting regular examinations and paying attention to skin changes can ensure that even if a person does get it, they have high survival odds.

staying on top of your skin health with the abcde guide

the best way to understand skin cancer is to know what changes to look for when examining moles or other skin spots. the abcde guide, developed by dermatologists at new york university langone medical center close to 40 years ago, was created as a way to help people identify abnormalities in their skin in a way that fosters early detection and a better overall prognosis.

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the abcdes in the guide stand for:
  • asymmetry: if one half of the mole is different from the other or asymmetrical, it should be examined by a dermatologist.
  • border: uneven edges, whether they’re jagged or blurry warrant an examination.
  • colour: if a mole is more than one colour, such as half being brown and the other half being closer to black, it could be cancerous.
  • diameter: larger moles are more likely to be cancerous than smaller ones. if a mole is larger than 6mm in diameter, it should be investigated.
  • evolving/evolution: evolving moles, or changing moles, get bigger, change shape, or transform from one colour into another are considered suspicious.
checking moles every month on your own is a great way to ensure that any changes are detected early. while melanoma is the deadliest form of skin cancer, it has a high survival rate if caught early.
to perform a skin check, you will need:
  • a body-length mirror
  • handheld mirror
  • a comb (to check in places that grow hair and obstruct your ability to see the skin)
the step-by-step process to check yourself for skin cancer is as follows:
  • check your back, front, and sides in a full-length mirror
  • bend your elbows to examine underarms, forearms, and palms
  • using a handheld mirror, examine the backs of the legs, feet, and soles of the feet as well as the spaces between the toes
  • using a handheld mirror and a full-body mirror together, position the handheld mirror so that it reflects off the body mirror, showing the back of your neck and scalp.
  • check your back and buttocks using the handheld mirror
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it’s also recommended that you see a dermatologist once per year to check for suspicious moles because while self-checks can be helpful, a specialist can see more than you can.

melanoma survival rates by stage and risk factors

melanoma is often the most dangerous type of skin cancer because it can spread fast. it typically occurs within moles that already exist on the body. the abcde method is the most useful when examining melanoma. when melanoma is caught in the early stages, or stage 1, it has a high survival rate of 97 per cent.
after that, the survival rates decrease consistently as the cancer has time to settle in the body and spread to vital organs and tissues.

when looking at the five-year survival rate of melanoma , which is the rate of survival five years after diagnosis as compared to the general population, it’s broken down into stages:

  • stage 1b: 92 per cent.
  • stage 2a: 81 per cent.
  • stage 2b: 70 per cent.
  • stage 2c: 53 per cent.
  • stage 3a: 78 per cent.
  • stage 3b: 59 per cent.
  • stage 3c: 40 per cent.
  • stage 4: 15 to 20 per cent.
anyone can get melanoma, but specific risk factors determine who is more likely to get it than others. if you fall into any of the categories, these risk factors can be used to get examined more often to ensure that if you do develop melanoma, it will be caught early enough to be treated effectively.

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the risk factors include:
  • exposure to ultraviolet radiation (uvr) from the sun, tanning beds, or sun lamps
  • having a lot of moles or a lot of atypical moles
  • birthmarks or moles that have been there since birth, known as congenital melanocytic nevi
  • certain hereditary conditions, including fammm syndrome, xeroderma pigmentosum, werner syndrome, or retinablastoma
  • those of caucasian descent, and having light skin, hair, and eyes
  • family history of skin cancer
  • a mutation in the cdkn2a gene, which helps with the suppression of cancer cell growth
  • weakened immunity

treatments on the horizon for melanoma

treating melanoma will depend on a few factors, including the stage and location on the body. typically, moles that are suspected of melanoma will be removed via surgery and biopsied. if melanoma is found, the surrounding area will be examined for skin cancer cells, as well as the rest of the body, and other tests may be done to determine whether the cancer has spread. other possible therapies include:
  • immunotherapy, where cancer-fighting immune cells will be injected into the body
  • radiation therapy, which uses external beam radiation to kill cancer cells
  • targeted therapy, which uses medications to control the spread of melanoma skin cancer
  • chemotherapy for cancer that has spread or is palliative

while current therapies continue to improve, a new treatment option was recently approved by the fda for cases of melanoma that don’t respond to other therapies. it’s known as til therapy, which stands for tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes. lymphocytes are white blood cells that work as part of the immune system to keep the body free from infection and disease.

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the recently approved version of til therapy developed by iovance biotherapeutics, a biotechnology company in california, us, uses immune cells to fight melanoma. while til therapy isn’t new, this particular cellular therapy is the first to be approved to treat solid tumours and was given fast-track approval because of the promising results from clinical trials.
the treatment works because when tumours grow, they contain tissue and other cells, including immune cells. those specific immune cells within the tumour can fight off cancer cells, but there are often not enough of them to win the battle. the new til therapy harvests these cancer-fighting cells from the tumour, multiplies them into billions, and then injects them back into the tumour so that there are more of them, giving them a better chance at shrinking tumours and getting rid of cancer cells.
the results from clinical trials examining the efficacy of the drug found that it worked for as many as 50 per cent of people in reducing disease progression and death, with 20 per cent reaching complete remission from the treatment alone.
while the treatment is still on its way into the hands of real patients, it shows great promise in tumour reduction in melanoma that has spread to other parts of the body, as well as other tumour-related cancers, including colon, lung, head, and bladder cancer.

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if you have spots or moles and wish to have them checked, it’s vital to see a dermatologist. however, if you want to keep an eye on things at home as a way to further protect yourself against melanoma, the canadian skin cancer foundation has created an app, miiskin, that can help track moles, monitor changes, and set reminders for regular checks.
angelica bottaro
angelica bottaro

angelica bottaro is the lead editor at healthing.ca, and has been content writing for over a decade, specializing in all things health. her goal as a health journalist is to bring awareness and information to people that they can use as an additional tool toward their own optimal health.

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