Tamra Judge Explains How the “Small Black Flat Freckle” on Her Butt Turned Out to Be Melanoma
Tamra Judge, 53, opened up about her skin cancer diagnosis in a new interview.
The Real Housewives of Orange County alum said her masseuse discovered a suspicious mole on her butt before she was diagnosed with melanoma in 2017.
While melanoma accounts for just 1% of all skin cancers, it’s also the deadliest form of the disease.
Tamra Judge is sharing new details about her skin cancer diagnosis. The former Real Housewives of Orange County star was diagnosed with stage 1 melanoma in 2017, after her masseuse discovered a suspicious spot.
“The masseuse told me, ‘Oh, you have this little tiny black dot,’” Judge explained in a new interview with Us Weekly. “And it was literally on my butt, like, the side of my butt. And she goes, ‘I think if I were you, I would get that checked out.’ And I’m like, ‘Oh, OK.’ And I didn’t think anything of it.”
Video: Dr. Ellen Marmur answers your skincare questions
The 53-year-old didn’t rush to get her skin checked. At the time, she was filming the popular Bravo TV show and didn’t feel it was a cause for concern. A few months later, she finally visited her doctor and learned she had skin cancer.
“She did the biopsy. And about a week later, she calls me and she’s like, ‘It’s melanoma,’” Judge recalled, adding that she was in tears. “I’d never heard those words before.”
A post shared by Tamra Judge (@tamrajudge) on Aug 27, 2017 at 6:48pm PDT
The experience was a huge wakeup call for Judge, and she was so grateful her masseuse said something. “I probably would have never, ever even knew it was there because I am not turning around and looking back there,” Judge said. “It didn’t hurt. There was nothing, it wasn’t raised. There was no reason for me to think there was something wrong.”
While melanoma accounts for just 1% of all skin cancer cases, it’s responsible for the majority of skin cancer deaths, per the American Cancer Society. Cancerous moles can look asymmetrical, irregularly shaped, multi-colored (black, brown, red, blue), and are generally larger than 6 millimeters.
Getting an odd mole checked out by a dermatologist is crucial, so it can be removed quickly if it’s deemed cancerous. Since Judge’s was found in stage 1, it was “very treatable.”
In October 2018, Judge underwent a biopsy and learned she was cancer-free. Now, she’s partnering with the American Cancer Society to raise awareness about the delays in cancer treatments for nearly 80% of cancer patients due to the coronavirus pandemic.
“It’s a very scary time to be fighting any kind of disease right now where you need medical treatment,” she said. “I just think that you just have to stay strong, trust your doctor, be persistent, get second opinions.”
A post shared by Tamra Judge (@tamrajudge) on Oct 19, 2020 at 8:07am PDT
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