A TEENAGE boy has been diagnosed with incurable cancer which has spread to his other organs after getting sunburnt on holiday.
Charlie Watson, 19, was told he had malignant melanoma – the most deadly form of skin cancer – and his treatment options were limited.
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The semi-professional footballer, from Dumfries and Galloway, in Scotland, first spotted a mole on his stomach after returning from a boys’ holiday to Magaluf where he got sunburnt “quite badly”.
The concerning mark grew to about one inch in size before it peeled off – Charlie had the rest removed from his body in October 2023.
The mole was examined – and his results revealed he had nodular malignant melanoma, a dangerous and fast-growing type of skin cancer.
Recounting her son’s devastating diagnosis, Charlie’s mum, Amanda Woods, 41, said: “It came as a shock to all of us.”
The young lad, who Amanda described as a “typical” and “very active”, plays for Queen of South FC Reserves.
“Truthfully, we never thought for one minute that this mole could have been malicious,” she added.
“Now, we have been told that 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 used sunbeds regularly and would often forget to use sun cream while abroad.
She said: “When he was away in Magaluf, he burnt quite bad.
“The mole appeared after he came back from that holiday and he had been using sunbeds frequently at the time.
“A lot of young people use them to look sun-kissed but I don’t think people understand the full risks.”
After his cancer diagnosis, Charlie was also told he carried the BRAF gene – a variation that can cause the cancer to grow more quickly and aggressively.
“Being told this was horrifying, it has been like a never-ending nightmare,” Amanda said.
My heart was in my mouth, even talking about it now makes me feel physically sick
Amanda Woods,
Charlie underwent surgery at the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary before being told his cancer had spread to the lymph nodes under his armpit.
Last month, a regular CT scan revealed the disease had moved to his lungs and liver, moving his condition to stage 4.
“We were told that there is nothing they can do and that there’s no cure for this,” Amanda recalled.
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“My heart was in my mouth, even talking about it now makes me feel physically sick.”
TRYING TO FIND A CURE
The mum has pleaded with doctors to find out if there is anything more they can do, but Charlie’s options are very limited.
“It’s devastating, up until now he has been a fit and healthy typical teenage lad,” she added.
Meanwhile, Amanda has been fundraising 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 doesn’t react well to the immunotherapy, we are aware that clinical trials could cost hundreds of thousands.
“Trials are very costly, but they are the way forward for finding 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 their child.”
‘NO SUCH THING AS A SAFE TAN’
Dr Rachel Orritt, Cancer Research 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 sunbeds.
“There’s no such thing as safe tanning from UV radiation – no matter if it’s from the sun or sunbeds.
“Using sunbeds is not safe and Cancer Research UK recommends that people don’t 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 up with clothes, a hat and UV protection sunglasses, and using sunscreen with at least SPF 30 and 4 or 5 stars.
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“If you do notice a mark or mole on your skin or nail that’s not normal for you, talk to your doctor.
“It probably won’t be cancer, but if it is, spotting it at an early stage means that treatment is more likely to be successful. “
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Can you spot the cancerous moles from the harmless ones?
IF you’ve spotted a new mole or lingering mark on your skin, don’t be too quick to dismiss it.
It’s important to know what your skin looks like normally, to helps 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 getting checked:
- Asymmetrical – melanomas usually have two very different halves and are an irregular shape
- Border – melanomas usually have a notched or ragged border
- Colours – melanomas will usually be a mix of two or more colours
- Diameter – most melanomas are usually larger than 6mm in diameter
- Enlargement or elevation – a mole that changes size over time is more likely to be a melanoma
Most melanomas don’t give you symptoms like pain or itching.
Meanwhile, some non-cancerous 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 out.
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 – this is also called basal cell carcinoma
- Squamous cell skin cancer – this is also called squamous cell carcinoma
There are a few different types of melanoma too:
- Superficial spreading melanoma
- Nodular melanoma
- Lentigo maligna melanoma
Find out more about distinguishing moles here