John Lennon’s son Julian reveals cancer diagnosis and emergency operation from doctor who ‘saved his life’
JULIAN Lennon detailed his emergency surgery that last seven hours after discovering a mole on his arm was cancerous.
The musician and photographer, who is the eldest son of late Beatles legend John Lennon, shared his cancer scare and urged everyone to “please get yourself checked out by your doctor.”
Taking to X – formerly known as Twitter – he detailed the emergency operation he underwent as he waits for the results of the biopsy.
Julian, 61, wrote: “Hi Folks, Well, here’s how this goes… Before I flew to New York from Los Angeles, for good morning America , Sirius XM, iHeart Radio & My Fotografiska Q&A Book Signing Event, I went to see, as I usually do when in LA, My lovely Dermatologist – Dr Tess, was the one who caught & operated on My Mole/Skin Cancer, a few years ago, and literally saved My Life…
“Anyway, after having just finished GMA, I received a message from Dr Tess, with some urgency to return to Los Angeles, as I had 2 locations on My Skin, Shoulder & Forearm, one of which was Melanoma, that should be operated on ASAP!
“So instead of going home to put my Christmas tree up and happily finish the year off, relaxing at home, I flew directly back to Los Angeles, after all my work in New York was done, and went directly from LAX airport, to surgery, with a surgeon recommended by Dr Tess, who spent several hours cleaning up and operating on me, with large margins, in the hope that we have, at the end of the day – clear margins, which would mean being free from cancer…
“The operation was a success, but we have yet to have the results of the biopsy, which we may not receive before Christmas…
“First of all, I’m very thankful to Dr Tess and Dr Tim, for being able to coordinate this surgery at such short notice, but for once again, hopefully Saving My Life…
“One can never be too confident in circumstances like this, but we all believe that Dr Tim has saved the day… So finger’s crossed for now.
“Obviously good news, would be the best Christmas present ever… Which I’m hopeful for… But I just want to say, this is also a timely reminder to all, to please get yourself checked out by your doctor…
“It only takes a short while to do so, and you may just be saving your own life, at the end of the day… so please, for the sake of yourself, your family and friends just go to your Dr and do what must be done…
“I love life and I want to live for a very long time and this is one way, and a choice, that could determine your future… I wish you all happy holidaze and a healthy long life… Love to all.”
Julian revealed that he’s awaiting test results from a biopsy, almost five years after he went public with a “cancer scare.”
Back in February 2020, he revealed in a Facebook post that a mole he’d had on his head his entire life was removed after a biopsy revealed it had turned cancerous.
A skin specialist noticed something unusual about a mole which he had on his head all his life.
He said: “The trouble is… you think you have time… a few days ago, I went to visit my dermatologist, here in LA, when she noticed a little bump on my head that was actually a mole that had been there, along with a birthmark, for the last 57 years. But this time, it looked & felt a little different.”
What is melanoma, what are the symptoms and how can you prevent it?
Melanoma is the most serious type of skin cancer that has a tendency to spread around the body.
It is diagnosed 16,000 times per year, and tragically takes the lives of 2,340 people per year.
The number of people being diagnosed with melanoma is increasing, and it is the 5th most common cancer in the UK.
But it is also one of the most preventable cancers, with 86 per cent of cases in the UK avoidable.
The best way to protect yourself from melanoma is to be sun safe – wear SPF every day, wear a hat and sunglasses and keep out of the sun in the hottest hours. It is also advised to avoid sunbeds.
People who are fair-skinned, have blue or green eyes, blonde or red hair and a large number of freckles or moles are more likely to get skin cancer.
Surgery is the main treatment for melanoma, particularly if it is found early. This will involve removing the affected tissue in the skin.
Radiotherapy, medicines and chemotherapy are also sometimes used to try and stop the cancer from growing. Treatment depends on the severity of the disease.
What are the symptoms?
The key thing to look out for are changes to an existing mole, or a new mole on your skin.
Most experts recommend using the simple “ABCDE” rule to look for symptoms of melanoma skin cancer, which can appear anywhere on the body.
There are five letters/words to remember:
- Asymmetrical – melanomas usually have two very different halves and are an irregular shape
- Border – melanomas usually have a notched or ragged border
- Colours – melanomas will usually be a mix of two or more colours
- Diameter – most melanomas are usually larger than 6mm in diameter
- Enlargement or elevation – a mole that changes size over time is more likely to be a melanoma
A mole that changes size, shape or colour may be a melanoma.
But other signs to look out for include moles that are:
- Swollen and sore
- Bleeding
- Itchy
- Crusty
How deadly is it?
Melanoma is a deadly form of skin cancer.
The outlook of a person’s disease depends on the stage of the cancer when it was diagnosed.
Survival is better for women than it is for men.
“We don’t know exactly why this is. It may be because women are more likely to see a doctor about their melanoma at an earlier stage,” says Cancer Research UK.
The charity says that generally, statistics show that in England, more than 85 out of every 100 people (more than 85 per cent) will survive their melanoma for 10 years or more after they are diagnosed.
- Around 100 per cent in England diagnosed with melanoma at stage 1 – when the cancer cells are only in the top layer of skin – will survive for five years or more after diagnosis.This drops to 80 per cent for stage 2.
- Some 70 per cent live for a further five years when they are diagnosed in stage 3, which is when the cancer has started to spread to nearby lymph nodes.
- At stage 4, when the melanoma has spread elsewhere in the body, almost 30 per cent survive their cancer for 5 years or more.
Cancer Research says the stage 4 data does not account for age differences. Age can affect outlook and younger people have a better prognosis than older people.
Age can affect outlook and younger people have a better prognosis than older people.
What is melanoma?
Melanocytes are cells in the skin that give us the colour of our skin because they produce a pigment, known as melanin.
When you sit in the sun, melanocytes produce more pigment (a sun tan), which spreads to other skin cells to protect them from the sun’s rays.
But melanocytes are also where cancer starts.
Too much UV causes sunburn, and this is a sign of damage to the skin’s DNA.
The UV triggers changes in the melanocytes, which makes the genetic material become faulty and cause abnormal cell growth.
People who burn easily are more at risk of skin cancer because their cells do not produce as much pigment to protect their skin.
Those with albinism are at the most risk because their skin produces no pigment at all.
Julian, whose hits include 1984’s Too Late for Goodbyes and 1991’s Saltwater, said he had a biopsy a few days ago which revealed it was “malignant/cancerous” and needed removing immediately.
He said: “Hopefully we managed to remove all that was cancerous, but the mole is being sent off again, for a further/deeper analysis, and I’ll have those results next week.
“I cannot tell you how I felt, from one moment of joy, to the fear of feeling that I may be gone, at any given moment.
“I’m still shaking inside… but my faith is strong.”
The star, whose dad was shot dead in 1980, urged fans to have regular health checks.
He added: “Thank you Dr Tess Mauricio, for quite possibly saving my life… I shall be forever indebted.”
Julian was the inspiration behind Beatles classic Hey Jude. His mum Cynthia and John divorced in 1968.