I had skin cancer on my back for months - but I didn't realise

A St Annes woman says people should pay attention if they have a mole which starts to change - unfortunately hers was on her back and she didn’t notice it.

Amanda Porter, 41, didn’t realise that the increasingly itchy and sore skin issue on her back, which was a minor nuisance to her, had been gradually turning cancerous for six months.

It culminated in her needing an operation to remove a dangerous cancer growth from her back in Clifton Hospital, St Annes on February 27 after being diagnosed with basal cell skin cancer.

Clerical worker Amnda will mark the month of May with two landmarks - her wedding to fiance Kris Horner, 39, and a 100 mile walking challenge to raise money for Cancer Research UK.

She says she feels lucky to be around for the big occasion as things could have turned out worse.

Amanda said: “It’s really disturbing to think this thing was growing on my body for six months.

“Skin cancer doesn't always stay on your skin, it can spread to other parts of your body and then you're in trouble.

“Thankfully this one didn’t - even though it was left longer than it should have been. I've since become a lot more aware of the damage it can do if it’s left.

“The problem was I cou;dnt see it because it was on my back. If I had actually noticed that the mole was changing I would have acted more quickly.”

It had started last summer when she was occasionally irritated by an itchy area on her back.

She said: “It was one of those things that annoys you but you don’t think its serious enough to do anything about.

“It didn’t go away but I just didn't think it was a major issue, it was just annoying.

“But last November I mentioned it to Kris and when he looked at it he realised something was very wrong.

“The mole had become raised, it was very red, scabby and bleeding and the skin around it was flakey - classic warning signs.”

It isn’t te first time Amanda has had a brush with serious health issues - in the past she has overcome potentially deadly sepsis and also needed lower back surgery.

She says it has made her value her health.

Amanda and Kris will marry in Blackpool on May 18 and this month she will complete 100 miles of a walking challenge to raise money for Cancer Research UK, walking several miles each day as part of an organised fundraiser.

To support Amanda’s fundraising campaign, visit here

For more information about Cancer Reseach UK’s 100 miles challenge, visit https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/get-involved/find-an-event/walk-100-miles-challenge