Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic(NEW YORK) — Khloe Kardashian is opening up about her own frightening health scare.
The 32-year-old reality star revealed on her app that doctors found and removed a cancerous mole on her back. She’s now urging fans to check their skin regularly.
“There was one mole I had on my back that was skin cancer,” Kardashian shared. “I had 8 inches of skin removed. It was definitely painful because it was a lot of skin, but most of the time, the removals haven’t been that bad.”
She added: “I haven’t had a problem in years, but wanted to share my experience with you so that if you notice something doesn’t look right, you will take action and take care of your health!”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, skin cancer is the most common type of cancer in the U.S., and the American Cancer Society notes that more than five million cases of basal and squamous cell skin cancers are diagnosed each year.
Dermatologist Rosemarie Ingleton stopped by ABC News’ Good Morning America Wednesday to discuss the disease.
Ingleton said people with increased sun exposure and who have more moles on their bodies are more susceptible to skin cancer.
“The more moles you have, the more things you have that can become abnormal,” she said. “So people who have a lot of moles, especially slightly weird moles, are at increased risk for getting melanoma, specifically.”
Ingleton said everyone should check their own bodies at least once a month and see a dermatologist annually.
Moles that are considered normal will appear round, even-colored and contain no irregularities on the edges, she added.
To prevent skin cancer, Ingleton suggests wearing sunscreen year-round, hats and anything that helps protect against sun exposure.
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