Jonas Brothers star issues urgent plea to fans amid cancer battle

Jonas Brothers musician Kevin Jonas has shared an important message to fans. It comes as the singer underwent surgery to remove a cancerous mole.

The band member shared an update on his health earlier this week, explaining that he was getting a basal cell carcinoma removed from his head. In a post uploaded to his Instagram page, the singer gave fans a warning to check their moles.

The singer captioned the post: “Friendly reminder to get your moles checked.” The post featured a video of Kevin lying down, as he added: “So today I am getting a basal-cell carcinoma removed from my head.

"Yes, that is an actual little skin cancer guy that has started to grow. And now I have to get surgery to remove it.”

Kevin moved the camera toward his hairline, where a small blemish could be seen. He then shared a brief clip of him removing the bandage, but concealing the result of his surgery.

Another clip showed the singer sat in his car wearing a small plaster over the removed mole. “Alright, I’m all done,” he said to the camera.

“Now it’s time to heal, heading home. Make sure to get those moles checked people," he ended the video saying.

A number of fans praised the singer for being open and honest about his health. One viewer commented: “Thank you for being real and honest about your situation.

"Skin cancer is always looked at from a ‘cut it off and done’ kinda cancer. You sharing opens doors for others to realize how important it is to check your skin! Hope surgery went well and keep sharing your experiences, it truly matters."

Jessicaleewalter wrote: “So happy you got checked out and had it removed. Just make sure to check any new moles that pop up or change in appearance.”

What is basal cell carcinoma?

According to the NHS, basal cell carcinoma, or BCC, is a type of non-melanoma skin cancer, which is a common type of cancer which starts on the top layer of skin. The other main type of non-melanoma skin cancer is squamous cell carcinoma (SCC).

Non-melanoma skin cancer can often be treated easily. The term ‘non-melanoma’ distinguishes these more common kinds of skin cancer from the less common skin cancer known as melanoma, which spreads faster in the body, according to NHS Inform.

The first sign of non-melanoma skin cancer is usually the appearance of a lump or patch on the skin that doesn’t heal after a few weeks.

The main causes of non-melanoma skin cancer include ultraviolet (UV) light, which comes from the sun or a sunbed. You're also more likely to get non-melanoma skin cancer if you have:

• pale skin that burns easily in the sun

• red or fair hair

• blue or green eyes

• a large number of freckles or moles

• had a lot of sun exposure and you've had sunburn a lot in the past

• used sunbeds a lot

• a history of skin cancer in your family or you've had skin cancer before

The NHS advised that if you have brown or black skin, there is a lower chance of developing non-melanoma skin cancer, but it is still possible to get it.

Symptoms of non-melanoma skin cancer

The main symptom of non-melanoma skin cancer is usually a growth or an unusual patch on the skin. This can appear on any part of the body, such as the head, face and ears, neck and shoulders, back, hands and lower legs.

Cancer Research UK explained that symptoms of skin cancer, such as soars or an area of skin that doesn’t heal within four weeks, looks unusual, and hurts (such as being itchy, bleeds, crusts or scabs for more than four weeks). The charity explained to look out for:

• A sore that doesn't heal - The sore can look see through, shiny and pink or pearly white. It can also look red. It may feel sore, rough and have raised edges.

• Ulcer - Look out for an area of skin that has broken down (an ulcer) and doesn't heal within 4 weeks, and you can't think of a reason for this change.

• A lump - This might be small, slow growing, shiny and pink or red.

• Red patches on your skin - These red patches could also be itchy. This could be due to other non cancerous skin conditions. But get it checked to make sure.

• Freckles or moles - A change to a mole or freckle can be a sign of another type of skin cancer called melanoma.