The sportscaster describes his experience with pre-skin cancer treatment in an effort to raise awareness of how he was diagnosed with the growth in the first place.
Jamie Campbell, Toronto Blue Jays sports reporter for Sportsnet, shared a picture of himself with X (formerly Twitter) back in October, showing the left side of his face. His red skin, he wrote at the time, was the result of previous treatment for skin cancer.
And now, after being told by his dermatologist that exposure to the sun through a car window played a role in his diagnosis of precancerous skin growths, Campbell, 56, is encouraging others to consider sunscreen.
“I would never, ever think about putting on sunscreen while driving,” Campbell said TODAY on Monday.
Jamie Campbell shows off the results of her pre-skin cancer treatment on Twitter.
Jamie Campbell/X
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Campbell, who was absent from World Cup coverage during the fall due to treatment, was first diagnosed with precancerous skin growths by his dermatologist in August.
He initially saw his doctor because of what turned out to be dead skin on his temple, Campbell said TODAY that the dermatologist then found “tiny red spots” on his face that he himself had not noticed.
According to the American Academy of Dermatology, the condition actinic keratosis appears on the parts of the body most exposed to the sun, and Campbell’s diagnosis was the result of the sun hitting the left side of his face while driving, he said. It is estimated that more than 40 million Americans are diagnosed with ADD each year.
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“These precancerous skin growths are common because many people rarely protect their skin from the sun with sunscreen, clothing and shade,” the nonprofit organization says on its website. “Without sun protection, the sun’s harmful rays can damage your skin. While your body can repair some of this damage, the sun’s rays continue to damage unprotected skin. Over the years, this damage accumulates and can cause precancerous changes in your skin.”
As TODAY notes, the condition can also lead to squamous cell carcinoma, a type of skin cancer.
After the diagnosis, the sports journalist underwent photodynamic therapy on both sides of his face. For three hours, he applied a cream called a photosensitizing agent to his face, because it kills precancerous cells when red light is applied, according to TODAY. As he explained, his red light app was on for “seven excruciating minutes” and it felt like “someone was holding a blowtorch to your face”.
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Jamie Campbell shows off the results of her pre-skin cancer treatment on Twitter.
Jamie Campbell/X
After the first treatment on the left side of his face in October, Campbell shared on social media why he did not want to be part of the annual World Cup broadcast and showed a picture of his red face after the treatment. “This is not fun, so please cover up, find shade and use sunscreen,” he wrote.
In November, Campbell – who has previously spoken about living with lymphocytic leukemia – underwent multiple treatments for skin cancer on the right side of his face. He shared an additional image “second round” also for X.
Now she tries to put sunscreen on her face while driving. “The benefit of what I’m doing is that I’ve heard from many, many people who have changed their habits (for sun protection),” Campbell said. TODAYcalling the reactions to his posts “wonderful.”
Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education