Young Woman’s Skin Cancer Experience Highlights Importance of Skin Checks

A young woman from Connecticut, Chloë Bourgoin, 26, shared her personal experience with skin cancer. Her aim is to alert others to an uncommon symptom she encountered. Speaking with Newsweek, Bourgoin revealed she has many moles but lacked understanding about regular skin evaluations, with her last check in 2018.

Bourgoin mentioned her unawareness that itching can indicate skin cancer. She noted the appearance of a new mole on her body believed to have emerged three years prior. The mole appeared normal until late 2025, when she experienced itching in her lower leg.

After searching online about itching, Bourgoin discovered it could signify a serious issue. Consulting her dermatologist confirmed her concerns. The mole, situated just above her ankle, was diagnosed as malignant melanoma. This skin cancer originates in skin pigment and often arises in sun-exposed areas, according to the Mayo Clinic.

The American Academy of Dermatology Association reports that skin cancer is the most prevalent cancer in the United States. Diagnoses have been rapidly increasing over the past 30 years. Excess UV radiation exposure from sunlight or indoor tanning boosts the likelihood of skin cancer. A personal history of the disease also raises risk.

Most melanoma cases link to UV exposure, with childhood or adolescent sunburns heightening the development risk. Common melanoma signs include moles with irregular shapes, changes in color or size, unusual borders, or symptoms like itching or bleeding.

Bourgoin shared with Newsweek that her maternal side has a family history of melanoma, heightening her cancer risk. After a biopsy and excision surgery, she had the melanoma and surrounding healthy skin removed. This procedure significantly reduces the recurrence risk. Bourgoin later displayed in a video the extent of the skin taken—’a chunk of my leg’—to ensure no cancer cells remained.

Happily, Bourgoin reported her treatment’s success. “My recovery has been going well, and I am now cancer-free!” she stated.