Coronation Street’s Sue Nicholls’ life ‘potentially saved’ by viewer who saw her cancer on TV
With Audrey’s chaotic life on the cobbles having captivated audiences for countless years, whilst viewing the programme one evening it was a dubious looking mole that had attracted the attention of a viewer and specialist dermatology nurse.
Back in 2011, Anna Bianconi-Moore, was almost instantly able to identify the actress with malignant melanoma. Concerned for her wellbeing, Moore contacted the programme to alert Nicholls to have her mole examined professionally.
What Moore spotted on Nicholls’ shoulder as she donned a nightgown in one of the soap’s sequences, was an irregularly shaped mole. Indeed, it was the mottled appearance of the mole that immediately caught her attention, reports the Express.
Speaking to journalists, she recounted: “I noticed it was irregular in shape and had at least three different colours. These are two of the red-flag signals that distinguish the most deadly form of skin cancer – malignant melanoma. I was obviously incredibly worried for Sue, and felt I needed to do something.
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“I wrote that I had observed a sinister-looking lesion and suggested that Sue should see a specialist, sooner rather than later, as it may require urgent attention.”
Moore’s sharp observation was aided by the fact that during the day she operates as a nurse at the dermatology clinic at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge and shortly afterwards Nicholls’ mole was dispatched for analysis.
Upon discovering that the mole had indeed developed into melanoma, ITV issued a statement highlighting the remarkable expertise of the nurse and its impact on actress Nicholls.
The statement explained: “Whilst millions watched the same scene in their living rooms at home, specialist skin care nurse Anna was able to diagnose the blemish as malignant melanoma after pausing the TV and taking a closer look.
“The 55 year old who’s from Suffolk then got in touch with the show to warn Sue to get the mole checked.
“In the end, almost a year passed before Sue had the mole removed and the diagnosis of malignant melanoma was confirmed. The actress then appealed for the viewer to get back in touch.
“The two finally met on the Coronation Street set at the end of May so Sue could thank her in person – for potentially saving her life.”
Melanoma is characterised by The Skin Cancer Foundation as a “dangerous” and “serious” form of skin cancer that originates in cells called melanocytes. What makes it particularly hazardous is its capacity to metastasise to other organs rapidly if left untreated in its early stages.
Indeed, merely 20 to 30 per cent of melanomas develop in existing moles like Nicholls’ case. The remaining 70 to 80 per cent emerge on seemingly normal skin.
How to spot signs of skin cancer
Melanomas can manifest in various shapes, sizes and colours. Regardless of the melanoma’s appearance, early detection remains crucial for prompt treatment.
When melanoma penetrates deeper into the skin or spreads to other body parts, treatment becomes increasingly challenging and potentially fatal.
The Skin Cancer Foundation employs both the ABCDEs of melanoma and the Ugly Duckling method to educate people on identifying melanoma.
The former serves as a guide to help people recognise melanoma warning signs:
- A is for Asymmetry. Most melanomas are asymmetrical. If you draw a line through the middle of the lesion, the two halves don’t match, so it looks different from a round to oval and symmetrical common mole.
- B is for Border. Melanoma borders tend to be uneven and may have scalloped or notched edges, while common moles tend to have smoother, more even borders.
- C is for Colour. Multiple colours are a warning sign. While benign moles are usually a single shade of brown, a melanoma may have different shades of brown, tan or black. As it grows, the colours red, white or blue may also appear.
- D is for Diameter or Dark. While it’s ideal to detect a melanoma when it is small, it’s a warning sign if a lesion is the size of a pencil eraser (about six millimetres or larger). Some experts say it is also important to look for any lesion, no matter what size, that is darker than others. Rare, amelanotic melanomas are colourless.
- E is for Evolving. Any change in size, shape, colour or elevation of a spot on your skin, or any new symptom in it, such as bleeding, itching or crusting, may be a warning sign of melanoma.
This emphasises the significance of not only examining irregularities, but also contrasting any questionable spot with neighbouring moles to assess whether it appears different. These ugly duckling lesions or outlier lesions may be bigger, smaller, lighter or darker than surrounding moles.
Solitary lesions lacking neighbouring moles for comparison are likewise deemed ugly ducklings. To diagnose melanoma, a dermatologist takes a biopsy of the suspicious tissue and sends it to a lab.
From here, a dermatologist determines whether cancer cells are present.
Once diagnosed, treatment options will depend on the stage of the disease, location of the tumour and overall health of the individual. Current treatment methods include surgical removal, immunotherapy, targeted therapy and chemotherapy.