Hugh Jackman has revealed he’s been undergoing tests for skin cancer after a recent medical check-up.
The Greatest Showman star, 54, took to Instagram to update his followers about his health in which he sported a plaster across his nose.
In the social media video, he revealed that his doctor had spotted “little things” on his skin that she felt were worth getting biopsied.
Captioning his post, the Australian actor penned: “You’ve heard me talk about my basal cell carcinomas before. And I’m going to keep talking about them, if need be. If just one person remembers to put on sunscreen with a high SPF, I’m happy.”
Then in the short video, Jackman explained that he wanted his followers to hear it from him, just in case “someone sees me on the street” sporting a bandage.
He shared: “I’ve just had two biopsies done, I just went to my doctor, Dr Iron, who’s awesome, and she just saw little things. Could be or could not be a basal cell in her opinion, she doesn’t know. I’ll find out in two or three days and as soon as I know, I’ll let you know.
“Just to remind you, basal cells in the world of skin cancers is the least dangerous of them all. However, if I can just take this opportunity to remind you, summer is coming.
“For those of us here in the Northern Hemisphere, please wear sunscreen, it is just not worth it. No matter how much you want a tan, trust me, trust me, trust me.”
Basal cell carcinoma does not usually spread. It often appears as a small, shiny pink or pearly-white lump with a translucent or waxy appearance. It can also look like a red, scaly patch.
After sharing his health update, many of his followers thanked him for bringing awareness to the condition.
One commented under his video: “Praying it’s nothing. Thank you for using your platform to help others.”
“Thank you for this! Stage 3 melanoma survivor here. Didn’t realise how serious it can be till it happened to me!” while another remarked.
The Wolverine star has opened up about skin cancer in the past, having had his first skin cancer removed in 2013, and has since had at least six procedures.
Jackman’s video comes after it was reported last year that skin cancer cases have hit a record level in England, with around one in five people affected during their lifetime.
There were 224,000 skin cancers recorded in England in 2019 and more than 1.4 million between 2013 and 2019, according to figures analysed by NHS Digital and the British Association of Dermatologists.
The data suggests a 26 per cent rise in recorded cases, from 177,677 in 2013 to 224,092 in 2019.
Experts believe an ageing population and improvements to how cancers are reported are behind the rise.
