Claire Turner, a 43-year-old British mother of three from Oxfordshire, England, is speaking out to warn young people about the dangers of tanning and UV exposure.
Her message comes after a life-altering diagnosis of stage four skin cancer that she believes could have been prevented.
Turner was diagnosed in January with cutaneous malignant melanoma, a severe form of skin cancer. By the time doctors identified it, the cancer had already spread to her liver, thighs, lymph nodes, and shoulders, making her battle even more challenging.
Recalling her younger years, Turner admits to spending time in the sun and using sun beds to maintain a tan, habits she now deeply regrets. “I did use sun beds, and I’ve been burned in the sun striving for a tan,” she shared in an interview with Kennedy News.
Now, she’s on a mission to educate others about the hidden dangers of UV exposure. “Sun damage has caused my cancer. It could have been avoided,” she stressed. “It’s about protecting and caring for your skin before anything appears.”
Reflecting on tanning, Turner now emphasises the safer choice. “Fake tan doesn’t last, and real tan doesn’t last, but which one’s safer?” she asked, hoping to make people think twice before risking their health.
Her story began with a minor shoulder pain in December. Initially, doctors suspected it was just a torn ligament, an assumption Turner accepted at the time. However, her concern grew when she noticed slight swelling on her shoulder blade a few weeks later.
She then underwent an MRI, which led to a referral to a specialist sarcoma unit. Facing an uncertain diagnosis just before the holidays, Turner said the waiting period over Christmas was excruciating.
“It was awful; it was just horrendous. I was expecting the worst,” she recalled. “I went down Google rabbit holes. It’s the worst thing you can do when you’ve got a potential diagnosis hanging over you.”
Unfortunately, her worst fears were realised when doctors confirmed the diagnosis: stage four skin cancer. “I was just winded. It threw me sideways; I was just shocked,” she said. “I came away knowing it was stage four.”
To fight the disease, Turner underwent three rounds of immunotherapy, a treatment aimed at shrinking her tumours. However, she had to stop in August after it caused inflammation in her pituitary gland and optic nerve.
Then, a scan in August revealed the cancer had spread further, this time to her lungs. Turner admitted that learning of this spread was a mixed experience. “I was relieved I hadn’t found that out earlier,” she explained.
“If I’d known, I instantly wouldn’t have been able to breathe, but that would’ve been panic and anxiety rather than cancer,” Turner reflected, describing how critical mental outlook can be during treatment.
Despite the challenges, her treatments have slowed the disease’s progression, and some of her tumours have even disappeared. Turner remains cautiously optimistic and says she’s taking each day as it comes.
While the future remains uncertain, Turner has found ways to enjoy life still, even the outdoors. “I still sit in the sun, but I’ll sit in the shade,” she said, describing how her perspective on sun exposure changed.
Urging others to prioritise skin safety, Turner now protects herself fully. “I’ll wear a hat, or I won’t have bare shoulders,” she noted, emphasising that small changes can make a big difference.
Turner’s journey has made her a passionate advocate for skin cancer awareness, and she hopes that others, especially young people, will take her story to heart.
