A COUNTY footballer who was diagnosed with skin cancer has appealed to people to be aware of the risks and look out for signs of the disease.

Cammy Graham, 20, who plays for Cowdenbeath, has spoken about how he was diagnosed whilst also giving advice about how to prevent and spot the disease.

Speaking to the Courier, the North Berwick man, who also spoke to Kay Burley on Sky News this week about his diagnosis, said it was a “strange” experience being on TV but important that he could raise awareness of melanoma.

He said: “The charity [Melanoma UK] got in touch with me and said Sky wanted to speak about my experience.

“It was strange but I enjoy doing things like that – I like to raise awareness.”

Cammy received the news that he had melanoma in summer 2021, when a friend noticed a dark mole on the back of his leg.

He never thought anything of it, believing it to be nothing more than a freckle, but when he got it checked out, he was given the shock news that it was skin cancer.

'Strange to come to terms with'

Speaking of his diagnosis, Cammy said it was hard to come to terms with, but he was thankful for all the brilliant care he received.

He said: “The hardest part was having cancer at 18 years old – it’s strange to come to terms with.

“In terms of the treatment, the NHS were brilliant, I couldn’t have asked for any more.”

But he admitted that waiting for the results following his treatment was the “longest seven weeks” of his life.

He said: “From getting the operation to waiting for the results was the longest seven weeks of my life.

“It was the worst ever; I was a nervous wreck, but then I got the best phone call ever!”

New role

After his diagnosis and recovery, Cammy took up a role as a young ambassador for Melanoma UK, a charity which is aimed at bringing awareness to the dangers of skin cancer and helping people to spot the signs early.

Cammy told the Courier that he loved this new role, even though he couldn’t have seen himself doing it before.

He said: “I love it! It’s not something I’d ever thought I’d do but it is a thing I do really well.”

With the weather heating up and more people enjoying the sunshine, Cammy also wanted to make sure people were protecting their skin from dangerous UV rays.

He said: “The biggest thing is to protect your skin with protective creams.

“Look at your skin for existing moles or freckles and keep an eye out for new ones. They can come in any colour, size or shape, so make sure to check because the earlier the better.

“Even if you think you’re OK, it’s maybe not – check your skin and, if you have any doubt, contact your GP.”