Chris Evans stated on Monday morning that he has skin cancer and detailed what prompted him to get checked.
The father-of-five informed Virgin Radio listeners about his health concerns, but noted that the illness was caught early.
He’s now claimed that, despite being “fearful” of testing, the deaths in his family “changed his mindset” about going to the doctor.
‘For years I was such a scaredy cat but I’ve had things taken out of me before that had resulted in the deaths of my dad, his two brothers and my mum,’ the doting dad shared.
‘Cancer has had enough of us. I changed my thinking a while ago when I went to the toilet and there was clearly something very wrong,’ he added according to MailOnline.
‘And up until that moment I was fearful of any possible test you could have done.’
Chris went on: ‘For some reason this happened and it was so patently obvious. I finished what I was doing and phoned my GP straight away and it was like an epiphany. I was like, “Yes, I’ll get checked”.
‘I now get checked too often for a couple of things, my doctor says.’
Chris’s father, Martin, died of colon cancer in 1979, and his mother, Minnie, died of breast cancer in 2018.
Chris stated at the start of the week that he was hoping for a full recovery because skin cancer is one of the more curable types of the condition.
Talking on his breakfast show, he explained: ‘I’ve just got to talk briefly about my biopsy for the skin cancer issue.
‘So, the best news that I got whilst I was away is that it was a positive test, so I have tested positive for skin cancer.
‘Obviously better news would have been [that it was] negative. But the reason it’s great news is because they’ve caught it as early as they can, as early as is possible.’
He also confirmed he had melanoma, adding: ‘There’s this phrase called a malignant melanoma – you know once you get something and you find out all about it – that is a redundant phrase because if it is a melanoma, it is malignant.’
‘But it’s been caught so early, just so you know, that it should be completely treatable.’
According to the broadcaster, that is set to happen ‘on the 14th of September’ with an operation to remove ‘a small square of skin’.
Macmillan cancer support
If you or someone you care about has been diagnosed with cancer, Macmillan can offer support and information.
You can contact their helpline on 0808 808 00 00 (7 days a week from 8am to 8pm), use their webchat service, or visit their site for more information.
