TV host discovers he has skin cancer during live on-air broadcast
Mike Jerrick, co-host of Good Day Philadelphia on FOX29, was broadcasting a skin care segment with Dr. Joanna Walker, a dermatologist with the Tara Miller Melanoma Center at the University of Pennsylvania.
As they discussed the importance of checking the skin for signs of cancer, Walker inspected a spot on Jerrick's right elbow, pronouncing that it was basal cell carcinoma, a common type of skin cancer.
'It has all the features of the most common type of skin cancer, which is also very treatable when it's caught early,' Walker said in the segment.
Jerrick expressed surprise, asking, 'What are you going to do to it, burn it off?'
The dermatologist replied that the cancerous spot most likely needs to be 'cut and stitched.'
The good news, she said, is that basal cell is a 'very slow-growing type of skin cancer' that's not likely to spread anywhere else on the body.
'But you do need to remove it so it doesn't keep growing and take over normal skin,' Walker advised.
Jerrick spoke with Fox News Digital about the revelation, noting that it was a complete surprise to him.
'I did say that we should have her bring her [micro]scope because I wanted to check out a couple of things on my arms, so that part was planned, but I never really thought it was going to be skin cancer,' he said.
The dermatologist recognised it right away, Jerrick shared.
'When she blurted it out, I didn't get alarmed or anything,' Jerrick said. 'It was just like, 'Oh dang, I should have done this a long time ago.''
'I was more shocked that she said she was going to cut it out instead of burn it off — that's where I got surprised.'
Jerrick is scheduled to have the cancerous spot removed on Friday.
'I should be fine,' he said. 'She'll just suture me up and I'll be on my way.'
Many people have reached out to thank Jerrick for airing the segment.
To those with similar markings or skin changes, 'it's important to get those checked,' he advised.
Here in Australia, Basal cell carcinoma is the most common type of skin cancer, making up 66 per cent of all skin cancers, according to the Cancer Council.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
ABC News
2 days ago
- ABC News
Bindi Irwin sparks endometriosis conversation after sharing her story
Bindi Irwin is urging women not to accept endometriosis pain as normal. The 27-year-old's post on social media in 2023 detailing her diagnosis with endometriosis has been liked more than one million times. This week, Ms Irwin stated that after 13 years of fighting for answers, 51 endometriosis lesions, a cyst, two surgeries, and a hernia, it was now time to heal. She said she felt "utterly ashamed" of her pain as her endometriosis symptoms were constantly dismissed. Like many women, Ms Irwin said this eroded her self-esteem, and she was speaking out to help reduce the stigma and secrecy around discussing the condition. Endometriosis is a disease in which tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows in other parts of the body. About one in 10 of those assigned female at birth have endometriosis. Ebony Nykiel, 26, from Queensland's Sunshine Coast, said Bindi's post resonated with her. She said it took 13 years for her diagnosis of endometriosis. Ms Nykiel said she had her first period at 10, and from the start, her painful symptoms were dismissed by others. Her eventual diagnosis was "bittersweet". She said it was validating to learn she "wasn't crazy" but that she was left with limited treatment options. Ms Nykiel said it wasn't just a woman's issue. "It's everyone's issue," she said. Ms Irwin said she was "slowly, slowly" regaining her strength. "I can FINALLY (sic) say that I'm feeling better. Genuinely healing. I can function in everyday life without wanting to throw up or pass out from the pain," she wrote on social media. "I cannot express the gravity of my emotions as I am beginning to recognise myself again. "I felt utterly ashamed as a teenager and young adult being told that my pain was just part of being a woman. "I felt lesser. I felt hurt. I felt weak." She said others should not have to endure isolation along with the trauma caused by endometriosis. "Young girls and women shouldn't feel alone with pain in the driver's seat of their lives," Ms Irwin said. "We need to take away the stigma of talking about women's health. It's time to have open discussions and make change on a global scale." Jessica Spain, a social worker and PhD candidate at the University of the Sunshine Coast, is researching the experiences of women and girls in regional Queensland accessing an endometriosis diagnosis. She said it was "so common" for them to be dismissed or for their pain to be normalised, misdiagnosed, or mistreated. Miss Spain said it could take six to eight years to be diagnosed. Accessing care, she said, was even more challenging for those who were Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, transgender, non-binary, living with a disability, or in a regional area. "The stigma around it has kept women under wraps for hundreds and thousands of years," she said. "Females are the experts in their own bodies and we know when something's wrong." She said women were often told they were being dramatic or that it was stress-related. Miss Spain said she found Ms Irwin's post empowering. "Endometriosis doesn't discriminate," Miss Spain said. "It's so powerful for her to speak up about that because that will resonate with so many people." Monica Forlano, from Endometriosis Australia, said it was a full-body and potentially lifelong health condition. She said, historically, the female body was not studied in the same way as men's bodies. "It essentially just comes down to medical misogyny," she said. "We know so little about it, it's still a mystery, an enigma." She said that through more funding, research, and awareness, the future was likely brighter for those living with the disease. Ms Forlano said she hoped to see endometriosis discussed more widely in schools with boys and girls of all ages. "It shouldn't be a life-defining condition. People can thrive," Ms Forlano said. "They just need to be seen and heard and listened to."
News.com.au
3 days ago
- News.com.au
Trendy drink may lower cancer risk, experts say
The global obsession with matcha green tea shows no signs of slowing, and health experts are now touting its potential benefits. Once just a trendy beverage, matcha is now being promoted for its possible health perks beyond providing a gradual caffeine boost – including reducing cancer risk and offering antioxidant protection. Research from San Francisco suggests that drinking matcha could help lower the risk of certain types of cancer. Dr Saurabh Sethi, a leading Harvard gut specialist with over 1.2 million followers on Instagram, explained that this vibrant green powder is rich in antioxidants like catechins, which may support heart health, enhance brain function, and fight off disease. In a recent social media clip, Dr Sethi emphasised that matcha, a concentrated form of green tea, provides even more antioxidant power than regular varieties. While the catechin content in matcha leaves is often quite low, when mixed with water, it produces three times the amount found in other green teas, according to Healthline. Matcha is also believed to improve cognitive performance. Dr Sethi encourages fans to incorporate it into their routines or, alternatively, try green smoothies or turmeric lattes for those who don't like the taste. His praise is supported by scientific research, including a 2017 Food Research International study that showed cognitive benefits from single doses of matcha. 'The current results indicate that the ingestion of a single dose of matcha tea itself or incorporated into a food product had effects on cognitive performance,' the study stated. Japanese research using mice also revealed a remarkable reduction in stress levels, which later appeared to translate to humans. The trend has led to a surge in matcha cafes across major cities worldwide and caused a global shortage last year, with fears of a similar scarcity this year. The Japanese Times reported last month that matcha production nearly tripled from 2010 to 2023. It also noted that green tea exports, including matcha, increased by 25 per cent last year. Experts say that one of the main reasons for a potential upcoming shortage is that consumers are now seeking higher-quality, premium matcha. This type of matcha is traditionally reserved for tea ceremonies, rather than the more affordable, culinary-grade versions, and people are now using it for everyday purposes. TikTok hashtags like #matcha have amassed over 1.9 billion views, further fuelling the craze. The movement towards the health-conscious beverage seemingly started in 2015 when wellness enthusiast Gwyneth Paltrow shared her first matcha experience. Industry analysts forecast the market could reach an impressive $A11.29 billion by 2030, showing that the trend is far from fading.
ABC News
3 days ago
- ABC News
Should non-diabetics wear continuous glucose monitors?
Corrine Moore beams with pride and relief as she opens a graph on her phone, showing a steady line that reflects her blood sugar levels throughout the day. It is a rare event for the 25 year old, who has suffered from type 1 diabetes since she was two and constantly battles to keep her blood sugar levels within a safe range. The app she uses connects to a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) stuck to her arm, which takes measurements of her blood sugar every five minutes. The device not only gives her painless access to checking her blood sugar, but alerts her to rises and drops in her levels before they become dangerous. For Ms Moore, CGMs are part of a constant struggle to keep her body functioning, so she was surprised to scroll upon videos of non-diabetics wearing the devices in recent months. In an Instagram reel, a woman wearing a CGM explains how a morning coffee spiked her blood sugar by 2 millimoles per litre and how she avoided it the next time by going for a walk. The account tells viewers that reducing blood sugar spikes helps the body avoid storing fat, and directs them to an online paid "fatburner" academy. In other videos, self-described "biohackers" nervously install CGM's on their arms for the first time, and recount the information it gives them throughout the day. Ms Moore, whose blood sugar often spikes by more than 10mmol/L after a miscalculated or mistimed insulin dose, says it is frustrating to witness. "To me, that's a lifesaving medical device, to them it's to see what their sugar levels are doing after they eat a banana," Ms Moore says. Ms Moore says it is debilitating or fatal if diabetics do not constantly monitor their blood sugar and adjust it correctly, making it hard to watch people who do not carry the same mental load fret about small rises and drops in their glucose levels. "They make it look so easy-breezy but it's not for us [diabetics]," she says. "We don't want to desensitise how life-threatening diabetes can be, it can be quite scary." The ABC reached out to a number of content creators promoting usage of CGMs. Those who responded were adamant about the potential health benefits. But they insist diabetics should be granted priority access. "In the western world we have a culture of treating symptoms and treating disease," Curious Media director Steve Grace says. "I think everyone wants to move to more of a preventative style [of healthcare]." "If the device is available for purchase, why not allow broader use when it has clear preventative potential?" content creator Kylie Gulliver says. Some of the online content showing non-diabetic CGM users is linked to Vively, which launched in 2021 as "the first company in Australia to bring blood glucose monitoring to those without diabetes". Medical director and co-founder, Michelle Woolhouse, says the devices can help people lose weight by showing them how different foods and behaviours impact their bodies in real-time. "It's really about giving people an educational tool alongside lifestyle advice, that can help them to really feel empowered and understand what works for them," Dr Woolhouse says. She says the devices can also help people discover health issues prior to a diagnosis, such as pre-diabetes, and intervene before it gets worse. "A lot of people are recognising they have more metabolic dysfunction than they previously thought that they would," she says. Dr Woolhouse says peri-menopausal women are a large demographic of non-diabetic CGM users, using them to mitigate weight gain that occurs during a shift in their metabolism. In the wake of a recent shortage in type 2 treatment drug Ozempic, many diabetics such as Ms Moore remain nervous about weight-loss claims triggering demand and shortages in their supplies. However, the Therapeautic Goods Administration says it it not aware of any supply disruptions for CGMs. Dr Woolhouse says her company definitely considered the prospect of shortage, but says it is "not the case" in Australia. "Two new players have just been registered on the TGA, there's a lot of new CGMs coming onto the market," she says. Diabetes WA spokesperson Jessica Weiss says there is "plenty" of stock available but it is "challenging to say" whether the future supply could be affected by uptake from non-diabetics. Unsubsidised, CGMs generally cost about $200 — $300 per month. A limited quota of the devices is partially subsidised each year for type 1 diabetics, and they remain full price for type 2 diabetics, who continue to campaign for affordable access. Ms Weiss says without the right education, non-diabetics using CGMs could misunderstand what to expect from their bodies and set unrealistic targets around their glucose levels, develop increased anxiety or cut out certain types of foods. "You're getting a lot of information that you didn't previously have," she says. "For people without diabetes, our body does an excellent job of regulating our glucose levels. These highs and lows are very normal and very safe. She advises "a little bit of extra caution" when buying health-related products outside of conventional channels. On Vively's website, Dr Woolhouse says the research is "still early" on CGMs, and there is not yet solid evidence to say whether wearing one has any negative impact for non-diabetics. However, she insists her company provides comprehensive coaching by professionals to ensure clients interpret their readings correctly. "We do a lot of education in the app to help people really understand [the data]" she says. "We do find it can actually help people to understand the sources of their eating disorders, as they stabilise their blood glucose levels." Editor's Note: Reporter Brianna Melville has type 1 diabetes and uses a glucose monitor.
