Actor Hugh Jackman[1] had skin cancer removed from his nose, he revealed in an Instagram post today (Nov. 21).


"Deb said to get the mark on my nose checked. Boy, was she right! I had a basil [basal] cell carcinoma. Please don't be foolish like me. Get yourself checked. And USE sunscreen!!!" he wrote in the post[2] .



Jackman's specific type of skin cancer, basal cell carcinoma, is not only the most common kind of skin cancer, but is also the most common type of cancer in the United States[3] , according to the National Institutes of Health. In fact, the Skin Cancer Foundation notes that approximately 2.8 million people are diagnosed[4] with this kind of skin cancer each year in the U.S.


People at particularly high risk for this type of cancer[5] include those with blonde or red hair, light-colored eyes (blue, green or gray), light-colored skin or freckles, lots of moles, a family history of skin cancer, many early-life sunburns and high exposure to the sun, as well as those who use tanning beds.


By definition, basal cell carcinoma is cancer of the basal cells, which the Mayo Clinic describes as "a type of cell within the skin that produces new skin cells as old ones die off." This type of cancer is especially common on sun-exposed areas of the skin, particularly the nose[6] , though it's possible to get it anywhere, according to the American Academy of Dermatology.


The cancer usually manifests as a white or waxy bump[7] , with visible blood vessels. However, it can also appear as a white, waxy scar or as a scaly and brown patch (patches often occur on the back or chest), the Mayo Clinic reported. While most people don't die from this kind of skin cancer -- only 2,000 people die from non-melanoma skin cancer[8] a year, the American Cancer Society notes -- it's still important to treat it because it can grow (albeit slowly) to destroy bone and skin tissue. Treatments usually involve[9] surgery, or using tools to physically remove the cancer from the body, though they can also involve freezing off the cancer or applying topical treatments.



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  • Ewan McGregor


    A few years back, the star had a cancerous mole removed from under his eye, <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/7360233.stm" target="_hplink">telling the BBC</a> that he knew his fair skin -- and years spent enjoying the sun -- upped his risk.

    "I went to see a specialist who thought they were better to be removed, and indeed he was correct,"<a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/7360233.stm" target="_hplink"> McGregor told the BBC.</a>




  • Michelle Monaghan


    <a href="http://www.health.com/health/article/0,,20532015_2,00.html" target="_hplink">The actress told <em>Health</em> magazine</a> that her Aussie husband was instrumental in keeping her skin cancer from progressing.

    "A few years ago I had a mole on the back of my calf, and he was adamant that I get it checked," <a href="http://www.health.com/health/article/0,,20532015_2,00.html" target="_hplink">she told the publication.</a> "In Australia, they're very aware of skin cancer. I finally went and it was skin cancer."




  • William H. Macy


    After appearing on her show with a small bandage on his nose, the actor told "Live! with Kelly" host Kelly Ripa he'd recently had a basal-cell carcinoma removed <a href="http://blog.sfgate.com/dailydish/2012/01/03/william-h-macy-recovering-from-skin-cancer-surgery/" target="_hplink"> (via SFGate)</a>.

    "I'm Scots/Irish heritage and (that's what I get) for spending a misspent youth in Georgia with no sunscreen," Macy said.




  • Melanie Griffith


    The actress once underwent surgery to remove "the early stages of skin cancer from her face," <a href="http://articles.cnn.com/2009-12-18/entertainment/melanie.griffith.cancer_1_melanie-griffith-skin-cancer-surgery?_s=PM:SHOWBIZ" target="_hplink">CNN reported.

    </a> According to <a href="http://articles.cnn.com/2009-12-18/entertainment/melanie.griffith.cancer_1_melanie-griffith-skin-cancer-surgery?_s=PM:SHOWBIZ" target="_hplink">CNN,</a> Griffith's spokesperson explained that the surgery was done early enough to prevent any future complications.




  • John McCain


    The politician has had at least four melanomas, <a href="http://articles.latimes.com/2008/may/24/science/sci-melanoma24" target="_hplink">the <em>Los Angeles Times</em> reports.</a>

    "Melanoma can almost always be cured in its early stages. But it is likely to spread to other parts of the body if it is not caught early," <a href="http://www.cancer.org/Cancer/SkinCancer-Melanoma/OverviewGuide/melanoma-skin-cancer-overview-what-is-melanoma" target="_hplink">The American Cancer Society explains.</a> "Melanoma is much less common than basal cell and squamous cell skin cancers ... but it is far more dangerous."




  • Brooke Shields


    Though the actress is skin-cancer free, <a href="http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20280761,00.html" target="_hplink">she told <em>People</em> magazine</a> that her doctor once removed a precancerous mole from her face, which served as a real wake-up call.

    "All my girlfriends and I would go up on the roof in New York; we didn't have to be at the beach," <a href="http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20280761,00.html" target="_hplink">Shields told<em> People</em>,</a> explaining that she stopped tanning years ago. "You think that because you're not in the sun anymore, it's all in the past. And then something like that crops up and you're made aware of how dangerous it really can be."




  • Laura Bush


    The former First Lady had a tumor removed from her shin several years ago, <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2006/12/18/wh-laura-bush-had-skin-ca_n_36672.html" target="_hplink">the AP reported.</a> It was a squamous cell carcinoma -- a non-melanoma skin cancer -- the main symptom of which is a "growing bump that may have a rough, scaly surface and flat reddish patches," <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001832/" target="_hplink">the NIH explains.</a>




  • Troy Aikman


    The former NFL quarterback was told he had 100 percent chance of survival after a malignant melanoma was removed from his shoulder back in the late 1990s,<a href="http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1013047/index.htm" target="_hplink"> according to <em>Sports Illustrated.</em> </a>




  • Anderson Cooper


    The star reporter had minor surgery to remove a cancerous mole from his face, <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/03/19/anderson-cooper-has-surge_n_92338.html" target="_hplink">the AP reported.</a> <a href="http://www.accesshollywood.com/anderson-cooper-has-small-spot-of-skin-cancer-removed_article_8823" target="_hplink">As Access Hollywood explained,</a> he mentioned the procedure on his blog explaining that he had "a small spot of skin cancer removed from under my left eye."




  • Lisa Gastineau


    The former reality TV star (who may be returning to it again soon) had a basal cell carcinoma inside her nose removed, which required doctors to remove part of her nostril, <a href="http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20348105,00.html" target="_hplink">according to <em>People.</em></a> She's also had melanoma removed from her thigh, and now is very careful to avoid the sun.