Achi news desk-
Last Updated: March 29, 2024, 09:16 IST
Washington DC, United States of America (USA)
Ninja, who has 19 million Twitch followers, shared his diagnosis in a post on X on Tuesday. (Tyler Blevins/X)
Twitch star Tyler “Ninja” Blevins shares his melanoma diagnosis, emphasizing the importance of regular skin exams. Get an insight into his journey and the growing trend of cancer
US Twitch star Tyler “Ninja” Blevins has announced that he has been diagnosed with melanoma, a type of skin cancer. The 32-year-old, who has over 19 million followers on Twitch and 6.6 million on X, shared his diagnosis on Tuesday.
“Okay, I’m still in a bit of shock but want to update you all. A few weeks ago I went into a dermatologist for an annual skin/mole check that Jess had proactively scheduled for me,” Blevins said in the post on X.
“There was a birthmark on the bottom of my foot that they wanted to remove just to be careful. It came back as melanoma, but they’re hopeful we caught it in the early stages,” he added.
Ok, I’m still in a bit of shock but wanted to update you all. A few weeks ago I went into a dermatologist for an annual skin / mole check that Jess had proactively arranged for me. There was a mole on the bottom of my foot that they wanted to remove just to be careful. It’s… — Ninja (@Ninja) March 26, 2024
Blevins said doctors also biopsied a second dark spot near the initial mole and removed a large area around the melanoma to determine if they had successfully removed all the cancerous tissue. “I’m thankful that I have hope of finding this early, but remember to take this as a PSA for skin exams,” she said in the post.
“I wanted to use my platform to shine a light on the importance of routine skin checks,” Blevins and his wife, Jessica Blevins, said in a statement to CNN. “We feel extremely optimistic and we will let everyone know as we chat more with our doctors,” he said. According to the American Academy of Dermatology, skin cancer is the most common type of cancer in the United States; 1 in 5 Americans will develop skin cancer in their lifetime.
Blevins was diagnosed with melanoma, which is a rare form of skin cancer — only about 1 percent of skin cancer cases. However, it accounts for the vast majority of skin cancer deaths. Smoking, alcohol consumption, air pollution, obesity, lack of physical activity and a diet lacking in fruit and vegetables are key risk factors for cancer, according to the World Health Organization.
