Vinnie Jones fighting cancer

Absurdistan

Bit of a shocker...................

Actor and footballer Vinnie Jones says he has had several lumps removed after being diagnosed with skin cancer.

The 48-year-old noticed a small blemish below his eye in February, thinking it was "a blackhead or a wart".

A check-up revealed it was melanoma, the most serious type of skin cancer, which kills 1,300 men and 900 women every year.

Doctors have since found more tumours, but Jones told The Sun he would fight it with "everything I've got".

"When the doctor said I had skin cancer, the first thing I thought was 'how long have I got?'" he told the newspaper.

"It's weighing very heavily on me all the time," he said.

Malignant Melanoma death rates have been increasing in the UK since the early 1970s, but the disease is largely preventable by avoiding strong sunlight and using high-factor sun creams.

Treatment is more likely to be successful if melanoma is spotted early.

Jones said that, subsequent to the removal of the tumour under his eye, doctors had found more cancer in the same area and, two months ago, he had a third operation to remove a tumour from the back of his head.

He blamed his outdoor lifestyle for the cancer - noting that after growing up on the football pitch, he had moved to Los Angeles to pursue a film career.

Now working with the Melanoma Research Foundation, he urged people to be more aware of exposure to the sun.

"Footballers never put on sunblock and they should all be wearing it," he said. "Kids should all be wearing it every time they play sport."

"If you spot something on your skin that doesn't feel right... get it checked out immediately."

Jones also revealed his wife Tanya had been fighting skin cancer, a result of drugs she had been taking since having a heart transplant 26 years ago.

Lincsaddick

good luck to him .. skin cancer is dangerous .. it sounds almost trivial but it can spread very quickly to all parts of the body, inside and outside

Fanny Fanackapan

Probably posted this before but Mr F had one on his leg over 20 years ago which spread to lymph nodes in his groin....still has lymphedema in his right leg but touch wood, all clear otherwise.

Heard there are some new forms of treatment around these days so good luck to VJ & Mrs J .

Rob

Good luck with your battle Vinny. Skin cancer can be very dangerous.

McBobbin

Good luck Vinny. Hope they got it all, and that footballers listen to him. could save lives. My cousin had skin cancer removed from his foot of all places in his late 20s. Can hit anyone, any time, so very scary.

Ormiston_Addick

Good luck to Vinny, hope he comes through it.

I thinks its a pretty safe bet he has picked that up in LA and not London.

Here is Brisbane we are the Skin Cancer capital of the world - people here go to the skin cancer clinic like you go to the Dentist.

I have been here 16 years and stay out of the sun as much as possible, especially during the hottest parts of the day.

nth_london_addick

got to love vinny I wish him all the best

North Lower Neil

Good luck to Vinnie and his Mrs - must be awful for them both to be suffering at the same time, hope they can both fight it.