Anne Cuppage, a 50-year-old health psychologist from Monkstown, Co Cork, had a malignant melanoma removed from her back six years ago.
Anne's back had been itchy for some time and when she went to investigate with a mirror she found a mole exhibiting all the danger signs. "I saw a raised dark mole which was bleeding and I was quite sure that I had melanoma. I panicked."
Having made the discovery on a Saturday she was with her GP the next Monday. However, her GP in the UK said it "was nothing to worry about". Although delighted with the news, Anne, who had noticed she was unusually tired, returned in a week and asked to have it removed anyway.
When it was sent away for analysis it was diagnosed as a very early malignant melanoma. She was then referred to a dermatologist, had a further excision and follow-up screenings.
"Because it was caught so early I fell into the cure bracket," she explained. "If I had left it I would be dead now."
Anne is now more cautious about the sun but insists she still goes about her daily life and enjoys sailing and sun holidays. "I use sun cream every day and always wear a hat, long trousers and sun glasses."
Six years on Anne is happy to talk about her experience, but at the time, she says, she couldn't even bring herself to say the word "melanoma".
She stresses the importance of early detection and early intervention. Her advice to people worried about skin cancer is to go see their GP:
"Don't be frightened, find a friend and go see your GP immediately. People have all sorts of worries that they sit at home and worry about. They should to talk to their GP about it. It's not something to worry about if you catch it early."