Health

Celebs Who Beat Skin Cancer and How They Prevent It Now

Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer, with an estimated 1 in 5 Americans receiving a skin cancer diagnosis in their lifetime.

And skin cancer cases are rising, with the American Academy of Dermatology Association reporting that “melanoma rates in the United States have been rising rapidly” in recent years.

Melanoma is “one of the better-known types of skin cancer,” Verywell Healthreports, but “it’s not all that common. It makes up about 1% of skin cancers. In the U.S., there are about 106,000 cases per year and about 7,100 people die from it annually.”

The most common skin cancer, Verywell Health explains, is basal cell carcinoma, which is diagnosed in approximately 4 million Americans a year. Although treatable if caught early, the outlet reports “if these cancers are not recognized and treated, they can lead to disfigurement, complications and even death.”

Although the American Cancer Society estimates that the average age for a skin cancer diagnosis is 66, celebs of all ages are sharing their diagnoses — and hoping it motivates others to use sunscreen and avoid tanning — as sun exposure is widely regarded as a leading cause of skin cancer.

“Repeated sunburns can lead to irreversible DNA damage and immune suppression. These factors can lead to the development of skin cancer,” Krista M. Rubin, NP, from the Mass General Cancer Center Melanoma Team, told PEOPLE.

“There is clear-cut evidence that excessive UV radiation is a carcinogen,” she says.

As Rubin tells PEOPLE: “There are no benefits to being in the sun without sunscreen and any exposure to the sun without sun protection is not advised.”

Here’s what Kevin Jonas, Hugh Jackman, Christie Brinkley, Gordon Ramsay and others have shared about their skin cancer diagnoses, and why they want everyone — and their families — to be safe in the sun.

Gordon Ramsay

The celebrity chef shared on Instagram in August 2025 that he had surgery to remove basal cell carcinoma from the side of his jaw, and he included photos of the bandage underneath his ear and the resulting stitches.

“Please don’t forget your sunscreen this weekend ❤️,” he urged his followers in the caption.

Hugh Jackman

“Put some sunscreen on,” the Deadpool & Wolverinestar pleaded with his followers in an Instagram reel in April 2023. Appearing with a bandage on his nose, Jackman revealed that he’d had biopsies done for basal cell carcinoma.

The actor’s first skin cancer diagnosis came in 2013, after then-wife Deborra-Lee Furness told him “to get the mark on my nose checked. Boy, was she right!”

The actor has since had multiple skin biopsies done on his nose — using his health struggle as an opportunity to urge his fans to “please get skin checks often, please don’t think it won’t happen to you.”

After the 2023 biopsy, Jackman urged fans to “put some sunscreen on.” He added, “You’ll still have an incredible time out there. Please be safe.”

On The Howard Stern Show in December 2025, he revealed he’s had “like six skin cancers,” and he knew that growing up in Australia put him more at risk.

The Greatest Showman star continued, “Even after the first one I had, I was like, ‘Ah, but it’d still be good to get a tan when I go away.’ I’m like, what was I thinking? You’re an idiot.… Be the pasty skin guy. Who cares?”

Kevin Jonas

The Jonas Brothers guitarist shared an Instagram reel of himself “getting a basal cell carcinoma removed from my head,” he explained in a June 2024 post.

The Camp Rock alum posted a close-up of the mark on his skin, calling it an “actual little skin cancer guy.”

It “started to grow, and now I have to get surgery to remove it,” Jonas explained, ending his post with a plea for his fans.

“Make sure to get those moles checked, people!”

Christie Brinkley

Brinkley shared that she’d had basal cell carcinoma removed from the side of her face, sharing that the “good news” is that it was caught “early.”

“I got serious a bit late so now for this ole mermaid/gardener, I’ll be slathering on my SPF 30, reapplying as needed, wearing long sleeves and a wide brim hat,” she said in a March 2024 Instagram post about her diagnosis — something she discovered while accompanying her daughter to a dermatologist appointment.

The supermodel shared that, at the end of her daughter’s appointment, she asked the doctor, “ ‘Do you think you could just look at this?’ … He looked and he goes, ‘We’ve got to do a biopsy immediately.'”

While Brinkley is now in the clear, she urged her followers to “make your own good luck by making that check-up appointment today. And slather up my friends!”

Michelle Monaghan

After a melanoma diagnosis about 15 years ago, Michelle Monaghan made it her mission to raise awareness about sun safety, as well as what to look for in order to catch skin cancers at an early stage. In recent years, as she noticed an increase of tanning bed content on her teenage daughter’s social media feeds, she took her awareness campaign to the next level by writing a book on the topic, A Kids Book About Sun Safety, to help educate children early about how important SPF is. (As she pointed out in a 2022 video, “80% of sun damage happens before the age of 18.”) She hopes that her book encourages parents to impart to their kids that SPF application “is as much of a part of their health routine as brushing your teeth or going to the dentist.”

Andy Roddick

Tennis star Roddick showed off a visibly inflamed face during a May 2024 episode of his podcast Served, sharing that it was due to a “face laser thing” he’d had as a treatment for skin cancer.

“I’ve dealt with various types of skin cancer since I stopped playing,” said Roddick, whose last professional match was the U.S. Open in 2012.

“[I] had a squamous cell tumor taken out of my lip, probably like five or six years ago,” he continued.

Roddick added, “I think I’m going to be a general kind of hatchet job for the rest of my life. [I] won’t go into the ‘woe was me’ part of it, because nothing is wrong, everything is good but — use sunscreen.”

Roddick, who shares son Hank, 11, and daughter Stevie, 9, with wife Brooklyn Decker, 39, urged his fans to, “Put sunscreen on your kids, especially if they are tennis players.”

“The problem won’t present itself when the kid is 8, but it might present itself when that kid is grown and is 38.”

Teddi Mellencamp Arroyave

Real Housewives of Beverly Hills alum Arroyave has candidly shared the scars of her ongoing struggle with melanoma, revealing in January 2024 that she was finally told by her oncologist that she was “all good. Some atypical areas, but no melanoma. We’ll have to keep a close watch on you, but all good now.”

In September 2024, Arroyave was diagnosed with her 13th melanoma.

“Skin checks are essential,” she has said. “We’ve seen how quickly it can turn from one melanoma to 12. So when your doctor says, ‘See you in three months,’ it’s three months.”

Harry Jowsey

Perfect Match star Jowsey revealed that he’d had skin cancer removed from his shoulder in an April 2024 TikTok video.

Although he joked “If you’re a freckly little frog like me, go get a mole map and get your body checked because you never know,” Jowsey admitted that the diagnosis was “very scary.”

The former Dancing with the Stars contestant urged his followers to get their “skin checked, wear your sunscreen and be a little bit more responsible.”

Alexa Bliss

The WWE star revealed bandages on the side of her face in a March 2023 Instagram post — with a warning to “younger me.”

“You should have stayed out of tanning beds,” Bliss said, adding, “All clear now though!”

The Masked Singer alum shared more details on X, formerly known as Twitter, writing “There was a spot on my face yes — that had gotten worse.”

A biopsy confirmed it was basal cell carcinoma, and Bliss shared that “During my procedure doc also found other squamous cells. Was a quick and easy procedure. Glad I always get my skin checked😊.”

Janelle Brown

Sister Wives star Janelle Brown shared that at first, she thought she had a cold sore on her lip.

“It never developed and just stayed,” she wrote in a March 2021 Instagram post. ”Over the next year or so it slowly increased in size.”

The mark, she said, looked like scar tissue, and when she finally got it checked out, the diagnosis was “basal cell carcinoma, skin cancer, non malignant, but it still needed to be removed.”

She shared that she’s always been vigilant about using sunscreen, writing, “You have to know that I am very very careful to always apply sunscreen. I have always burned so easily so really cannot go out, ever, without some sort of protection.”

She ended her post urging her followers to always see their doctor of they notice something on their skin.

“I hope this share will be helpful to some. I am sharing to say that, even if it seems like it couldn’t be skin cancer, it doesn’t hurt to have your doctor look at it 💗”

Jamie Campbell

“I would never, ever have considered putting on sunscreen to drive,” Campbell, a Toronto Blue Jays sportscaster for Sportsnet, told TODAY.

But as Campbell shared, his dermatologist told him that he had precancerous skin growths — the result of sun exposure from his car window.

The red marks came from photodynamic therapy, which he explained entailed applying a cream, called a photosensitizing agent, to his face for three hours.

The cream kills precancerous cells under red light, something Campbell told TODAY felt like “someone holding a blowtorch to your face.”

He said he shared his story to alert others about the hidden dangers of not wearing sunscreen — even when you’re just driving.

“The benefit of me doing this is that I have heard from many, many people who have changed their habits,” he told TODAY.

Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York

On the heels of her breast cancer diagnosis, which caused the Duchess of York to undergo a mastectomy in June 2023, she shared that she’d been diagnosed with malignant melanoma at the start of 2024.

“The Duchess wants to thank the entire medical team which has supported her, particularly her dermatologist whose vigilance ensured the illness was detected when it was,” a representative said in a statement. “She believes her experience underlines the importance of checking the size, shape, color and texture and emergence of new moles that can be a sign of melanoma.”

In March 2024, PEOPLE reported that the Duchess had learned the skin cancer had not spread — but would need to be vigilant with checkups every 12 weeks.

Tyler ‘Ninja’ Blevins

Blevins — the top streamer on video game platform Twitch, where he’s known as Ninja — shared that he’d been diagnosed with melanoma at a routine dermatological skin check appointment made by his wife Jessica.

“I’m still in a bit of shock but want to keep you all updated. A few weeks ago I went in to a dermatologist for an annual skin/mole check that Jess proactively scheduled for me. There was a mole on the bottom of my foot that they wanted to remove just to be careful,” Blevins wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter), in March 2024.

“It came back as melanoma, but they are optimistic that we caught it in the early stages. I had another dark spot appear near it, so today they biopsied that and removed a larger area around the melanoma with the hopes that under the microscope they will see clear non-melanoma edges and we will know we got it,” he added.

“I’m grateful to have hope in finding this early, but please take this as a PSA to get skin checkups,” said Blevins, who shared in April 2024 that he was “officially cancer free.”

People

Health

Fakeeh University Hospital Achieves One of the World’s Highest Standards in Maternal and Newborn Care

Recognition by WHO and UNICEF reflects the hospital’s commitment to safe, compassionate, and family-centered healthcare across Dubai and the UAE

Dubai , UAE, May 13, 2026

Fakeeh University Hospital has earned Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI) accreditation, officially recognized by the UAE Ministry of Health, Public Health and prevention department on behalf of World Health Organization (WHO) and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

one of the world’s most respected standards in maternal and newborn healthcare. The accreditation reflects the hospital’s commitment to delivering safe, high-quality, and family-centered maternity services, while fostering a supportive breastfeeding environment and advancing maternal and child wellbeing through specialized healthcare programs, education, and continuous patient support.

Widely regarded as one of the leading global benchmarks in maternity and neonatal care, the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative recognizes healthcare institutions that demonstrate excellence in breastfeeding support, newborn nutrition, maternal wellbeing, patient education, and family-centered care through internationally approved clinical protocols, continuous staff training, and rigorous quality assessments.

The accreditation follows the implementation of internationally recognized practices under the “Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding” framework developed by WHO and UNICEF, aimed at protecting, promoting, and supporting breastfeeding while empowering mothers through education, guidance, and continuous care throughout their maternity journey.

The achievement reflects extensive collaboration across multiple departments within Fakeeh University Hospital, with physicians, Nursing and midwifery teams, lactation consultants and clinical support services, and operational staff working together to ensure every mother and newborn receives safe, personalized, and compassionate care from the very beginning of their healthcare journey.

As part of its patient-centered maternity approach, Fakeeh University Hospital promotes early skin-to-skin contact immediately after birth, helping strengthening the health of the baby and the mother-baby bonding.

Commenting on the milestone, Dr. Mohaymen Abdelghany, Group CEO of Fakeeh Health and CEO of Fakeeh University Hospital, said:

“Receiving this accreditation is a meaningful milestone for Fakeeh University Hospital because it reflects the standard of care we strive to deliver to every mother, every newborn, and every family who places their trust in us.

“At Fakeeh Health, we believe that exceptional maternity care goes beyond medical excellence. It is about creating a safe, supportive, and compassionate environment where mothers feel reassured, respected, and genuinely cared for throughout one of the most important journeys of their lives.

“This achievement is the result of the dedication and collaboration of our physicians, nurses, midwives and multidisciplinary teams who work every day to uphold the highest international standards while always keeping patient care at the center of everything we do.”

The hospital’s support for mothers extends beyond delivery through ongoing education, lactation guidance, and postnatal care designed to help families navigate the early stages of parenthood with confidence and reassurance.

The accreditation further strengthens Fakeeh University Hospital’s position as a leading institution in patient-centered maternity and neonatal healthcare, reflecting not only clinical excellence, but also a deeper organizational commitment to delivering healthcare built on trust, empathy, safety, and international best practices.

Fakeeh University Hospital continues to advance its maternity and neonatal programs through multidisciplinary expertise, advanced medical technologies, and family-centered healthcare initiatives designed to improve long-term outcomes for mothers, newborns, and families across the UAE.

About Fakeeh University Hospital
Fakeeh University Hospital is an academic, tertiary-care hospital in Dubai, committed to delivering advanced, patient-centred healthcare supported by education, research, and innovation. The hospital offers a comprehensive range of specialised medical services and plays a leading role in introducing cutting-edge treatments and technologies to the region.
For more information, visit: https://www.fakeeh.health/

Health

Hantavirus ship heads to Netherlands after passengers flown home

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The cruise ship hit by a deadly hantavirus outbreak headed to the Netherlands on Tuesday, May 12, after its last passengers disembarked in Spain’s Canary Islands, with at least seven of the evacuees testing positive for the virus. Three people died after the rare virus that usually spreads among rodents was detected on board the MV Hondius, sparking a global health scare. Among living patients, seven cases have been confirmed and an eighth is listed as “probable,” according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

French officials said one woman who tested positive was hospitalized and in stable condition in intensive care. No vaccines or specific treatments exist for the virus, but health officials have said the risk to the public is low and dismissed comparisons to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Dutch-flagged ship was expected to arrive in Rotterdam on Sunday evening, according to its operator, where it will undergo disinfection procedures. More than 25 crew members and medical staff were still on board the ship, which is carrying the body of a German passenger who died during the voyage, but all passengers have now disembarked.

“Mission accomplished,” exulted Spanish Health Minister Monica Garcia Gomez, on the quay of the port of Granadilla de Abona, in Tenerife. “Between yesterday and today, we have evacuated the 125 passengers and crew members from 23 countries, who have either already returned home or are in the process of being repatriated. The ship, as you can see, has just weighed anchor. It left the port today at 7 pm,” she said.

The final cohort of 28 evacuees traveled on chartered buses to Tenerife South Airport and boarded two flights that landed in the Netherlands early on Tuesday. One plane carried mostly crew members – 17 Filipinos, a Dutch national and a German – as well as a British doctor and two epidemiologists. A second flight transported six other passengers – four Australians, a New Zealander and a Briton living in Australia – who would stay in a quarantine facility near the airport before being repatriated.

Wearing white medical overalls and fface masks, the evacuees disembarked from the air ambulance clutching white bags of their belongings and walked into Eindhoven airport’s terminal. Spanish authorities said the cruise ship, which was originally only authorized to anchor offshore for the evacuation on health and safety grounds, had docked in port because of unfavorable weather.

At a press conference at the port, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who is due to meet the Spanish prime minister in Madrid on Tuesday, sought to reassure the passengers. He said they were in good hands now and that the situation could have become difficult if they stayed on the ship but added that this “is not another Covid.”

Search for contacts

Among the completed repatriations, a French woman – one of five evacuees from France placed in isolation in Paris – started to feel unwell on Sunday night, and “tests came back positive,” Health Minister Stéphanie Rist said.

A Spanish passenger has also tested positive, the health ministry in Madrid said, adding that results for the 13 other Spanish evacuees were so far negative. Spain’s health ministry defended the rigour of the evacuations, where medical teams escorted passengers from the ship to an airport on Tenerife under close supervision and following health checks.

“From the start, all the measures adopted have aimed at cutting the possible chains of transmission… all measures for prevention and control of transmission have been applied,” it said in a statement. In total, seven cases have been confirmed among living passengers, health officials have said.

Other suspected cases and potential close contacts with infected people are being investigated, with health authorities in several countries tracking passengers who had already disembarked from the ship, plus anyone who may have come into contact with them.

In a video shared on Monday by operator Oceanwide Expeditions, captain Jan Dobrogowski paid tribute to the “unity and quiet strength” of everyone on board and highlighted the “courage and selfless resolve” of the crew.

The MV Hondius left Argentina, where hantavirus is endemic, on April 1 for a cruise across the Atlantic Ocean to Cape Verde. The WHO believes the first infection occurred before the start of the voyage, followed by transmission between humans on board the vessel. But Argentine health officials have questioned whether the outbreak originated in the southern city of Ushuaia, based on the virus’s weeks-long incubation period and other factors.

Le Monde

Health

Do air fryers cause cancer?

The bottom line

Acrylamide is a chemical that can be created by cooking processes including baking, air frying, and toasting. Acrylamide is considered a probable human carcinogen based on the results of studies in laboratory animals. However, there is no conclusive evidence linking dietary acrylamide consumption to cancer in humans.

How does air frying work?

Air fryers work by creating a fine mist of oil droplets that circulate around food in the presence of hot air. This form of cooking uses less oil and is more environmentally friendly than conventional frying methods. Because air frying uses less oil than traditional frying, it creates foods that are lower in fat than deep-fried foods. However, because heat transfer is less efficient through air than through oil, the process of air frying takes at least twice as long as traditional frying.

Is air frying healthy?

Air frying is often considered to be a healthier alternative to traditional frying. In one study, deep-fried French fries retained 10 times more oil than air-fried French fries cooked for the same amount of time. Air-fried foods also have a lower fat and calorie content than traditional fried foods.

Do air fryers cause cancer?

Air-frying equipment is not known to cause cancer, but the process of air frying does result in the formation of certain compounds, like acrylamide, that are linked to cancer development. Acrylamide is classified as a probable human carcinogen. Acrylamide is formed when foods are heated to temperatures above 120 degrees Celsius (120°C) or 250 degrees Fahrenheit (250°F). During the heating process, a series of chemical reactions (called the “Maillard reaction”) involving sugars and amino acids contained in food results in the formation of acrylamide. Foods that are high in carbohydrates, such as potato chips, French fries, and baked goods contain the highest levels of acrylamide, but fish, meat, and vegetables produce smaller amounts of acrylamide when cooked.

What is acrylamide?

Acrylamide is an industrial chemical used in the manufacturing of plastics, glues, and paper. It is also used in construction grout and as a thickening agent in cosmetic products. It is a component of cigarette smoke. Acrylamide is a neurotoxin that can cause difficulty walking, muscle weakness, and decreased sensation in the hands and feet after low-level workplace exposure. Acrylamide can also interact with DNA, RNA, and cellular processes, and causes cancer in laboratory animals. However, to date there is no conclusive evidence that acrylamide causes cancer in humans.

How much acrylamide is safe?

In occupational settings, short-term exposure to acrylamide is associated with numbness in the hands and feet, skin rashes and peeling, and leg weakness. Workers who have chronic work-related contact with acrylamide can develop difficulty walking or other neurological signs and symptoms. The safety of dietary acrylamide consumption in humans has also been evaluated, but a clear relationship between dietary acrylamide intake and cancer has not been established. The safe amount of dietary acrylamide is unknown.

Is acrylamide in food?

Acrylamide’s presence in food products was initially identified in 2002. Since then, acrylamide has been detected in various types of baked, fried, roasted, and toasted foods including bread, crackers, chocolate-containing products, and canned olives. Acrylamide formation is responsible for the toasted appearance, crusty consistency, and flavor of cooked foods. Burnt or darkly crusted foods contain greater amounts of acrylamide than lighter foods. While acrylamide consumption varies based on dietary habits, the average human consumes 0.4 micrograms of acrylamide per kilogram of body weight each day.

Is acrylamide in coffee?

Coffee beans are roasted to temperatures ranging from 220° to 250°C (428° to 482°F), and the roasting process generates acrylamide at these temperatures. There are several factors that affect the amount of acrylamide that is present in coffee beans, including coffee species (Arabica coffee generally has a lower acrylamide content than Robusta coffee), the roasting process (oddly, shorter and lighter roasts result in higher acrylamide levels), and storage time (acrylamide content decreases with longer storage times). Decaffeination does not affect the acrylamide content of coffee.

What should I do if I get sick after drinking coffee or eating air fried food?

If you develop symptoms of food poisoning or have questions about the safety of food products, use the webPOISONCONTROL^® online tool to get help

National capital poison center