Teen Diagnosed with Stage 3 Melanoma at 15 Says Doctors Initially Dismissed Cancer Symptom as Sign of ‘Puberty'

Yahoo

20-05-2025

Samuel Gee, now 19, has shared how he underwent a biopsy and found out that a mole that he had on his back since he "was little" turned out to be cancerous
He was diagnosed with Stage 3 melanoma at the age of 15
The teenager told Today.com one of the symptoms he had was a "swollen lymph node," which doctors initially dismissed as being down to "puberty"A 19-year-old boy is recalling being diagnosed with stage 3 melanoma at the age of 15, and how doctors initially dismissed one of his symptoms as a sign of "puberty."
Samuel Gee told Today.com that he had gotten the mole — which he had on his back since he 'was little' — checked out in 2020 following the advice of a wrestling referee, who noticed the mark during one of his matches.
He said the referee told him that he had 'to get it checked out,' and so he underwent a biopsy at a dermatologist. It turned out to be good advice as doctors determined the mole was cancerous and Gee was diagnosed with Stage 3 melanoma at the young age of 15.
'I was definitely surprised,' Gee recalled of his reaction to getting the news to the outlet. 'I was in shock.'
The college student noted to Today that the mole 'looked like it was drying out' and said that the mole changed over the years since he was 'young' and 'gradually [became] raised' — a symptom of melanoma.
However, Gee said he didn't really focus on it, as he was more focused on 'swelling' which had popped up on his right leg. He said he initially thought it was an 'inguinal hernia,' which is 'when tissue, such as part of the intestine, protrudes through a weak spot in the abdominal muscles,' according to the Mayo Clinic. A pediatric surgeon eventually identified the issue to him, but wasn't aware of the cause.
'He was like, 'It's not a inguinal hernia, but likely [an] swollen lymph node,'' Gee told Today. 'He's like, 'It's just from puberty … Come back in a few weeks if it hasn't gone away.''
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Gee later learned that it was also related to his cancer. He said that doctors told him his melanoma had spread locally, which caused the swollen lymph node in his leg. To treat the cancer, the teenager underwent immunotherapy — which he said was easier to manage under the COVID-19 lockdown.
'I would get fatigued a little bit. It would make me nauseous,' he says. 'It was a very day-to-day thing. Some days I would feel fantastic. Some days I would feel like I needed to throw up or I was really tired.'
After undergoing immunotherapy, Gee eventually underwent surgery to remove the melanoma and lymph nodes from his body. He then underwent additional rounds of immunotherapy before he was officially declared 'disease free.'
According to the American Cancer Society, skin cancer is the 'most common type of cancer' in the U.S., and while melanoma 'accounts for only about 1% of skin cancers,' it 'causes a large majority of skin cancer deaths.'
The American Cancer Society predicted that approximately 105,000 new melanomas will be diagnosed in 2025 and about 8,400 are 'expected to die of melanoma.' The organization noted that while it is more common for older adults to be diagnosed with melanoma, 'it's one of the most common cancers in young adults.'
As for Gee, who is now an engineering student at Texas A&M, he said he is taking his skincare seriously — especially when it comes to going out in the sun.
'I'm all about the sunscreen now,' he told Today. 'I hope people will start wearing their sunscreen. … That's really what I want to get across is wear sunscreen, don't tan on purpose.'
He further said that he has a 'new perspective on life' since his cancer treatment, adding, 'It's very important that we take care of ourselves, and I think a lot of young people neglect that.'
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