When the sun shines, it’s common knowledge to apply sun cream.
For David Bateson, however, this precaution serves as a stark reminder of how skin cancer can affect unexpected areas, such as the scalp.
The 48-year-old father of three had always boasted a magnificent head of thick, dark locks and had never considered that skin cancer could develop in his hair.
So when he discovered a small, bleeding lump on the top of his crown, he thought nothing of it.
“I thought I had just knocked my head and it was a scab,” he explained.
“It was the size of a bubble wrap bubble and there was no pain. But it just wouldn’t heal.”
His wife, Lisa, a nurse, urged him to get it checked out.
He was initially given steroid cream, which cleared up the lump after a week.
However, when he returned, the doctor said, “I’m not so sure. I’ll get you to see a specialist.”
A biopsy was taken for testing, and David received a call during a work meeting from his doctor, who requested an urgent meeting.
Assuming it was to arrange a time to meet, David’s heart sank when his doctor said he needed to see him immediately.
“I wasn’t feeling worried up until that point,” David recalled.
“When they said, ‘Get yourself here,’ I guess I knew it was skin cancer. But then you start thinking, ‘What type is it?’ I knew the one that you don’t want is melanoma.
“And unfortunately, it was. I was obviously very anxious on that journey back. The nightmare started then.”
Cancer Research UK reported that melanoma was the UK’s most rapidly increasing cancer, with around 17,500 new cases each year and 2,341 deaths annually.
UK Charity Melanoma Focus warned that melanoma was the deadliest form of skin cancer, though 86 per cent of cases were preventable.
David was diagnosed with melanoma in December 2019.
He underwent surgery to remove the cancerous lesion on his crown, as well as the surrounding skin to ensure complete removal.
A skin graft from his leg was used to replace the removed skin, and several lymph nodes from his neck were removed to check for spread.
Fortunately, the surgery appeared to be successful.
However, eight months later, David found a lump in his neck that raised concerns.
“I think around September or August 2020 I noticed one of my lymph nodes in my neck was like a frozen pea and didn’t go down. That meant it was fighting something,” he recalled.
“I had an ultrasound and I was chatting to the (sonographer), and asked what we were looking for.
It was about living with cancer – there was never talk of it curing me.”
David Bateson
“He said, ‘If the lymph node is black in the middle of the scan, then generally that’s going to be cancerous.’
“We were both looking at the screen and you could see a football-like shape.
“I looked in the middle and thought, ‘it’s black.’
“I said, ‘It’s not great, is it?’ And he said, ‘No. It’s not great. But let’s get inside there and take some out and get them tested.’”
Further testing revealed that the cancer had returned and spread to David’s lymphatic system.
He underwent aggressive surgery to remove part of the lymphatic system in his neck, followed by debilitating rounds of radiotherapy that made it difficult to swallow.
The treatments were effective in removing the cancer, and he was given the all-clear once again.
But eight months later, a routine three-month scan showed that the cancer had returned and spread to his liver, lungs, and spine.
“I thought that was me done,” David admitted.
“The odds weren’t great. But they had the immunotherapy drug that was out and being used on different people with melanoma.
“What this treatment did was, it took the brakes off your immune system and allowed your body to spot and fight cancer cells.
“Melanoma was one of the first cancers where this drug was found to be effective. It didn’t work on every cancer,” he said.
“I think my doctor said there was a 50/50 chance of reacting to the drug, and even less of a chance of getting a full remission.
“But it was about living with cancer – there was never talk of it curing me.”
For his immunotherapy treatments, David went to the hospital where a combination of immune system-boosting drugs was added to his bloodstream intravenously, with each four-week session lasting between one to two hours.
As the cancer had spread to his spine, he also endured further radiotherapy.
Miraculously, the immunotherapy worked better than expected, and in January this year, David was told he was cancer-free.
He was now looking forward to a healthy future with his wife and their three children: George, 22, Jack, 19, and Grace, 17.
Reflecting on his treatment, David said, “I was living around scan results. I wasn’t worrying too much about the future.
“I was about creating memories with my family and that was beautiful. Knowing that you have a limited lifespan and knowing that every day matters.”
Last year, David raised £50,000 for Addenbrooke’s Hospital, where he underwent treatment.
For those concerned about skin cancer on the scalp, David offered key advice: “If you can put sun cream on your crown, then brilliant.
“But if you’re sitting around the pool, or even just going to the shops, protect your scalp as much as possible and stick a bloody hat on.”
IF you have spotted a lingering mole or mark somewhere on your skin, it would be smart not to dismiss it.
Especially if it looks a bit odd.
Melanoma frequently starts as a new mole, or a change in mole you already have.
The ABCDE rule can be followed to assess the health of a mole. If your mole falls into the following, it’s worth getting checked:
