18 hours ago
Mum-of-two wants to find stranger who 'saved her life' in work meeting
A cancer researcher who developed the disease herself is hoping to find the stranger who saved her life.
Emma Hawke was at a work meeting when a dermatologist she had never met before spotted a suspicious mole on her arm and urged her to get it checked.
She was subsequently diagnosed with melanoma - the most serious form of skin cancer.
Cancer researcher Emma Hawke was at a work meeting when a doctor spotted a suspicious mole on her arm (Image: Cancer Research UK)
Emma, a 42-year-old mother-of-two from Eastleigh, said: "I was watching TV when the phone rang. I thought it was going to be a family member calling, but it was the hospital.
"My melanoma diagnosis was a huge shock and I immediately expected to need chemotherapy or immunotherapy.
"My sons were just five and eight at the time and I feared they were going to see me becoming really poorly.
'Thankfully it was caught early enough to be managed with surgery and it hadn't spread to my lymph nodes.
"I do have a scar on my arm where they had to take a large enough area of skin to safely remove all the cancerous cells, but I would have gone through so much more treatment or worse had I left it.
"I would love to find the doctor who spotted it and say thanks for saving my life."
Former skin cancer patient Emma Hawke is urging people to stay safe by using plenty of sun cream (Image: Getty Images)
Emma is also working to raise awareness of skin cancer. She has joined forces with Cancer Research UK and NIVEA Sun to encourage people across the south to seek shade, cover up, and apply sunscreen regularly.
"Awareness of the risks of UV radiation was low when I was younger, and I'd put oil on try to look tanned like the popstars of the 90s," she said.
'Now, I make sure I'm covered up and take some time out of the sun in the middle of the day as well as always being prepared with a hat, sunglasses, and sunscreen.
"Sun safety doesn't mean missing out, just being careful whether you're at home or abroad.'
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Cancer Research UK health information manager Beth Vincent added: "Getting sunburnt just once every two years can triple the risk of developing skin cancer compared to never being burnt.
"Even on a cloudy day, the sun can be strong enough to burn between mid-March and mid-October."
