Jane Murray, 46, a Dublin mother and former “sun worshipper,” thought a mole on her arm was nothing to worry about — just a typical spot. But after a concerned nurse friend urged her to get it checked, Jane discovered it was stage 2 melanoma, one of the deadliest forms of skin cancer.
The diagnosis led to a serious medical intervention, including the removal of lymph nodes in her arm to ensure the cancer hadn’t spread. The surgery left Jane with 77 stitches, but thankfully, doctors have since confirmed there’s no evidence of cancer remaining.
Jane’s story is a powerful reminder to take even “normal-looking” moles seriously and to seek medical advice when in doubt.
“The doctor told me they weren’t exactly sure what it was but wanted to remove it immediately just to be safe,” Jane Murray recalled. She underwent the procedure on December 3rd — only to be called back later for more treatment.
“When the doctor began explaining the diagnosis, I honestly thought she was talking about someone else,” said Murray, a personal trainer. She was diagnosed with stage 2 melanoma — the deadliest form of skin cancer, known for its ability to spread rapidly if not caught early, according to VeryWell Health.
“Early detection and treatment are absolutely critical,” the health site explains. “If melanoma is treated while still confined to the skin’s primary tumor, the five-year survival rate is an impressive 99.6%. But once it spreads to distant organs (metastasizes), that rate drops sharply to about 35.1%.”
In Jane’s case, doctors had to remove lymph nodes from her arm as a precaution. The surgery was extensive, requiring 77 stitches to close the wound — a stark reminder of how serious this ‘normal’ mole had become.
“This is a huge part of my arm,” Murray reflected. “I woke up to a completely different reality than what I had expected.”
As a personal trainer, she admits to regretting her past sun habits. “I was a total sun worshipper. On holidays, I’d be outside from morning till night,” she said. While she did use sunscreen, she added, “Whenever I had a free moment, I was out in the garden soaking up the sun.”
But now, she stresses, “A suntan fades within two weeks after your holiday. It’s just not worth the risk.”