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She Thought It Was Just A Freckle; It Turned Into Stage 4 Melanoma
Prev NextA Tucson woman is sharing her personal story — and a warning — in honor of Melanoma Monday and Skin Cancer Awareness Month.
VAIL, Ariz. (KGUN) — As temperatures rise and more Arizonans head outdoors to enjoy the sun, one Tucson woman is sharing her personal story — and a warning — in honor of Melanoma Monday and Skin Cancer Awareness Month.
Candice Mason, a wife and mother of three, was diagnosed with melanoma in 2017 at age 35 — the deadliest form of skin cancer.
She said her battle began with a freckle that slowly changed into a mole over the course of 10 to 15 years.
"I know it sounds like a crazy amount of time," she said. "But, I did have it looked at on two different occasions and the third time, after I had my third child."
That's when she said the freckle began to morph.
"The border was growing. It was dark. It was not pretty," Mason said.
Doctors removed the mole and, after a sentinel lymph node biopsy, discovered stage 3 melanoma.
When asked what that diagnosis felt like, she said, "Scary… devastating."
"I did have to do my first bout of immunotherapy, but my scans were clean and I was starting to get some side effects, so the doctor and I had decided to cease treatment," Mason explained.
Two years later, Mason was in a car crash. While checking for injuries, doctors found a suspicious spot in her lung — which they described as "an unidentifiable lesion."
"I knew exactly what it was," she said. "So I called my doctor, my oncologist, and that's what prompted my first brain MRI. We tried to find a surgeon because at the time, we thought it was just localized to the lung."
Soon after, Mason began experiencing painful headaches. A brain MRI revealed three tumors on her brain.
Her melanoma had spread to her brain, lung, spleen and pelvic wall, and she was diagnosed with stage 4 melanoma.
Candice Mason
Candice MasonHer case is one of millions. According to the American Cancer Society, more than 5 million cases of skin cancer are diagnosed each year in the United States, making it the most commonly diagnosed cancer in the country.
The American Cancer Society estimates 3,790 new cases of melanoma will be diagnosed in Arizona this year — a rate well above the national average.
"People need to just wake up. Skin cancer is not something that you can cut out and you'll be fine," Mason said. "It spreads to your brain. It's disfiguring. And people die from it."
She urges people to check their skin regularly and limit their exposure to ultraviolet (UV) rays — the most common cause of skin cancer.
Mason showed KGUN 9 the sunscreen she uses and emphasized the importance of consistency.
"The best sunscreen is the one that you'll wear," she said.
She also shared several sun safety tips: using sunscreen daily, covering up, staying in the shade, taking vitamin D supplements, using umbrellas, and wearing wide-brimmed hats and sunglasses.
After undergoing intensive treatments — including a double craniotomy, immunotherapy and brain radiation — Mason currently shows no signs of cancer. She continues to monitor her skin and volunteers with the American Cancer Society to advocate for cancer legislation in Arizona.
"Skin cancer is all-inclusive," she said. "It doesn't care what color skin you have, what you believe in, what age you are, what gender you are. Everybody is susceptible to skin cancer."
——Maria Staubs joined KGUN 9 as a multimedia journalist and producer in July of 2024. Her passion for writing and storytelling stems from anchoring her middle school's news show and editing her high school's yearbook. She holds a bachelor's degree in journalism and mass communication with a minor in film and media production, as well as a master's degree in mass communication. You can email Maria at maria.Staubs@kgun9.Com or reach out to her on X/Twitter or Instagram.
Copyright 2025 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
'Dangerous' Nasal Tanning Sprays Linked To Killer Cancer – As Brits Issued Warning
NASAL tanning sprays may increase the risk of melanoma skin cancer, it's been warned.
The sprays - often sold on social media - claim to accelerate tanning and are often sniffed prior to sunbed use, a known risk for skin cancer.
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Nasal tanning sprays have been linked to melanoma cancerCredit: PA
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The Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) said these sprays are sold on social mediaCredit: PACosting from £20 to £35, they are a hit with younger people and have become a social media phenomenon.
The Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) is urging the public to avoid any tanning product that is 'inhaled or ingested'.
It says side effects include nausea, vomiting, high blood pressure, and changes in mole shape and size.
Coughing, sneezing and nasal congestion due to irritation of the respiratory tract.
Other reported side effects include prolonged erections, facial flushing and changes in libido.
The sprays contains a substance known as melanotan II which when inhaled, reaches the bloodstream and may stimulate melanin production.
Activated melanin creates a tan but "may also encourage abnormal skin cell changes in response to UV exposure", according to the Melanoma Fund.
The process is considered unsafe melanotan II is illegal in the UK.
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CTSI has found accounts on sites like Facebook and TikTok selling nasal tanning sprays available in flavours such as peach, bubblegum, and grape.
I'm addicted to nasal sprays and love using sunbeds to get my dark glowIt fears these products are being marketed at children.
Susanna Daniels, CEO of Melanoma Focus, said: "We're becoming increasingly concerned about the use of both nasal tanning sprays and tanning injections and their potential links with melanoma skin cancer.
"These unregulated and illegal products not only pose serious health risks but also encourage harmful behaviours, particularly among young consumers.
"We urge the public to consider the long-term impacts on their health and avoid using these substances altogether."
Gary Lipman, Chairman at the Sunbed Association, said: "Nasal sprays have absolutely no place in a professional tanning salon.
"We fully support CTSI's campaign to heighten awareness of the dangers of using them."
People using the nasal tanning sprays have publically told their stories in a bid to warn others off them.
Jen Atkin, a former Miss Great Britain winner from Grimsby, Lincolnshire, says she is permanently scarred after using a nasal tanning spray she bought on Instagram.
"Unfortunately, I decided to go to extra lengths and fell into the trend of nasal tan," she said.
Jen used the £25 product twice and a dark brown mark appeared "out of absolutely nowhere" on her forehead, which hasn't budged since.
The spray also made her feel incredibly sick. Jen described it as "actually horrific", adding: "It scared the life out of me. It made me feel so nauseous and weird."
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Jen Atkin used a nasal tanning spray she bought on Instagram and has been left with a dark pigmented patch on her foreheadCredit: Jen Atkin
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She says the sprays also made her feel sickCredit: Jen AtkinStudent Erin Rider told Fabulous she believes that a £32 nasal tanner she bought on TikTok caused her skin to erupt in painful spots, which have left permanent scarring.
She said: "The spots turned out to be cystic acne. I never linked the spots to the nasal sprays but when I put two and two together and Googled possible side-effects, I stopped taking it immediately.
"The acne eventually turned into pigmentation and my forehead was patchy with visible white marks.
"I would never leave the house without heavy make-up. I didn't want to see people because of how awful my skin was. Five months on, it's wrecked my skin for ever. The scarring is permanent."
What is melanoma, what are the symptoms and how can you prevent it?
Melanoma is the most serious type of skin cancer that has a tendency to spread around the body.
It is diagnosed 16,000 times per year, and tragically takes the lives of 2,340 people per year.
The number of people being diagnosed with melanoma is increasing, and it is the 5th most common cancer in the UK.
But it is also one of the most preventable cancers, with 86 per cent of cases in the UK avoidable.
The best way to protect yourself from melanoma is to be sun safe - wear SPF every day, wear a hat and sunglasses and keep out of the sun in the hottest hours. It is also advised to avoid sunbeds.
People who are fair-skinned, have blue or green eyes, blonde or red hair and a large number of freckles or moles are more likely to get skin cancer.
Surgery is the main treatment for melanoma, particularly if it is found early. This will involve removing the affected tissue in the skin.
Radiotherapy, medicines and chemotherapy are also sometimes used to try and stop the cancer from growing. Treatment depends on the severity of the disease.
What are the symptoms?
The key thing to look out for are changes to an existing mole, or a new mole on your skin.
Most experts recommend using the simple "ABCDE" rule to look for symptoms of melanoma skin cancer, which can appear anywhere on the body.
There are five letters/words to remember:
A mole that changes size, shape or colour may be a melanoma.
But other signs to look out for include moles that are:
How deadly is it?
Melanoma is a deadly form of skin cancer.
The outlook of a person's disease depends on the stage of the cancer when it was diagnosed.
Survival is better for women than it is for men.
"We don't know exactly why this is. It may be because women are more likely to see a doctor about their melanoma at an earlier stage," says Cancer Research UK.
The charity says that generally, statistics show that in England, more than 85 out of every 100 people (more than 85 per cent) will survive their melanoma for 10 years or more after they are diagnosed.
Cancer Research says the stage 4 data does not account for age differences. Age can affect outlook and younger people have a better prognosis than older people.
Age can affect outlook and younger people have a better prognosis than older people.
What is melanoma?
Melanocytes are cells in the skin that give us the colour of our skin because they produce a pigment, known as melanin.
When you sit in the sun, melanocytes produce more pigment (a sun tan), which spreads to other skin cells to protect them from the sun's rays.
But melanocytes are also where cancer starts.
Too much UV causes sunburn, and this is a sign of damage to the skin's DNA.
The UV triggers changes in the melanocytes, which makes the genetic material become faulty and cause abnormal cell growth.
People who burn easily are more at risk of skin cancer because their cells do not produce as much pigment to protect their skin.
Those with albinism are at the most risk because their skin produces no pigment at all.
Skin Cancer Isn't Exactly A 'better' Cancer To Get. Why You Should Be Aware Melanoma Can Be An 'incredibly Deadly Disease,' According To An Expert
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills alum Teddi Mellencamp has been sharing her journey with stage 4 skin cancer for the past month. The 43-year-old reality TV star isn't the only younger person who's been impacted by the disease. (Photo by River Callaway/Variety via Getty Images)
The prospect of getting skin cancer may seem unlikely or altogether not that bad to sun worshippers and those who love getting a tan. But to those who've been diagnosed with the disease, including reality TV star Teddi Mellencamp, the truth is far more devastating. The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills alum has been sharing her stage 4 melanoma journey with the public for the past month, explaining that her cancer spread to her brain and lungs, and expressing the challenges she's faced when it comes to the treatment process.
This article is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Contact a qualified medical professional before engaging in any physical activity, or making any changes to your diet, medication or lifestyle.
"The highs and lows of treatment for stage 4 brain and lung tumours are pretty extreme. Please go get your yearly checks," the 43-year-old daughter of singer John Mellencamp wrote in a recent Instagram post. "It's melanoma awareness month. No better time than now to book and remind a friend or loved one."
Like Mellencamp, Kathy Barnard has been through the tumultuous experience that is malignant melanoma. Barnard was first diagnosed in 2003 when she was 47 years old. In the past 22 years, she's faced the disease four separate times, including when the cancer spread to her lungs. " I'm a huge outdoor athlete, and I'm very Scottish and pale skinned, and I just love the sun," Barnard told Yahoo Canada.
She grew up at a time when there was very little knowledge or information about the dangers of the sun, so she rarely took precautions to protect herself from its harmful rays prior to being diagnosed. "I'm from the generation where everybody thought that you should have a base tan before you went on a holiday. I was the generation where they had tanning beds in gyms, and I would go to the gym all the time and use them."
Barnard is about to turn 70 and is currently cancer-free. She noted she's incredibly grateful for the innovative treatments that have helped her make it this far, many of which didn't yet exist when she was first diagnosed.
Kathy Barnard has been treated for skin cancer four separate times. (Image via Kathy Barnard)
"I have been — touch wood — so unbelievably lucky," she said. But she knows many skin cancer patients who haven't been so fortunate.
That's why Barnard has made it her mission to educate the public, particularly young people, about the importance of sun safety. She founded the Save Your Skin Foundation, an organization offering support to skin cancer patients while advocating for prevention and education on the danger UV rays offer.
The very real dangers of skin cancer"It's a common misconception that skin cancer is a 'better' cancer to get," Dr. Geeta Yadav, a board-certified dermatologist and founder of FACET Dermatology, explained. In reality, while some skin cancers have better survival rates than others, she noted melanoma in particular can be an "incredibly deadly disease."
Melanoma can spread, or metastasize, in three different ways. Yadav explained that includes through tissue, beyond its original borders; through the lymphatic system, which can allow the melanoma to travel to lymph nodes or other parts of the body; and/or through the bloodstream, which allows the cancer to travel to other organs.
In Mellencamp's case, she sought medical care after experiencing debilitating headaches. Her care team found tumours in her brain and lungs, meaning that her melanoma had metastasized via the bloodstream. This was also true in Barnard's case.
Mellencamp's health-care team found her melanoma had metastasized via the bloodstream after she sought help for headaches. (Photo by Rodin Eckenroth/WireImage)
When melanoma spreads, it tends to spread to non-regional lymph nodes, meaning lymph nodes not in the area of the original tumour, Yadav explained. This includes the lungs, the liver, the brain and the bones.
Melanoma spreading to the lungs and brain are the two most common causes of metastatic melanoma-related deaths, she added. Metastatic melanoma is said to have a five-year survival rate of under 30 per cent, while the five-year survival rate of early melanoma can be as high as 99 per cent.
Rates are on the riseAlthough we now have much more information about the importance of sun protection, skin cancer rates are on the rise. According to the Canadian Skin Cancer Foundation, one in every three cancers diagnosed worldwide is skin cancer.
In Canada, more than 80,000 cases of skin cancer are diagnosed each year. Additionally, more than 5,000 of those are melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer. Melanoma is also one of the most common cancer types found in young adults aged 15 to 29 and 30 to 49, as well as the seventh-most commonly diagnosed cancer in Canada.
"It used to be the cancer of old people. That's not the case anymore," Barnard said. " It's the fastest-growing cancer in our young people."
Kathy Barnard is on a mission to raise awareness for skin cancer. (Image via Kathy Barnard)
Protect your skin and get checkedSmart sun habits, including daily application of sunscreen, are key to reducing your risk of skin cancer. However, Yadav noted so many people choose to skip SPF and soak up unprotected UV.
"It never fails to surprise me how cavalier people are about their skin health, especially considering how much effort many people put into addressing cosmetic skin concerns," Yadav said. "Remember, unprotected UV exposure can cause premature skin aging as well as cancer, and it's far harder to get rid of sunspots than it is to prevent them."
Sun protection goes beyond just SPF, which must be applied every two hours. It also includes UV clothing, trying to stay out of the sun during peak hours, wearing a hat and making sure you wear sunglasses. The latter is particularly important, as Barnard said there's been an increase in ocular melanoma over the past five years, including in younger demographics.
Equally important as skin protection is early detection, especially since survival rates drastically increase if melanoma is found before it spreads, Yadav added: "Follow the ABCDE rules — look for asymmetry, irregular borders of a mole, variations in colour within just one spot, diameter larger than six millimeters (about the size of a pencil eraser) and evolving sizes, shapes or colours. If you see something that looks suspicious, make an appointment with your doctor right away."
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