In a remarkable turn of events, Coronation Street’s Sue Nicholls, who plays Audrey Roberts, had her life potentially saved by an eagle-eyed viewer. Nurse Anna Bianconi-Moore spotted a suspicious mole on the actress while watching an episode where Sue appeared in a nightie. The specialist skin care nurse, with her professional expertise from working at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge, identified the mole as possibly malignant melanoma due to its irregular shape and multiple colours.
Concerned for Sue’s health, Anna reached out to the ITV soap’s team. She later told the media: “I noticed it was irregular in shape and had at least three different colours. These are two of the red-flag signals that distinguish the most deadly form of skin cancer – malignant melanoma. I was obviously incredibly worried for Sue, and felt I needed to do something.”
Anna advised Sue to seek immediate medical attention, saying, “I wrote that I had observed a sinister-looking lesion and suggested that Sue should see a specialist, sooner rather than later, as it may require urgent attention.”, reports the Express.
Thanks to her intervention, the mole was promptly tested and after it was discovered that it had indeed developed into melanoma, ITV issued a statement praising the keen eye of the nurse and its impact on their star actress. The statement read: “Whilst millions watched the same scene in their living rooms at home, specialist skin care nurse Anna was able to diagnose the blemish as malignant melanoma after pausing the TV and taking a closer look.”
(Image: ITV)
It continued, “The 55 year old who’s from Suffolk then got in touch with the show to warn Sue to get the mole checked. In the end, almost a year passed before Sue had the mole removed and the diagnosis of malignant melanoma was confirmed. The actress then appealed for the viewer to get back in touch.
“The two finally met on the Coronation Street set at the end of May so Sue could thank her in person – for potentially saving her life.”
Melanoma is described by The Skin Cancer Foundation as a “dangerous” and “serious” form of skin cancer that originates in cells known as melanocytes. What makes it dangerous is its ability to spread to other organs more quickly if not treated at an early stage. In fact, only 20 to 30 percent of melanomas are found in existing moles like Sue’s was, with 70 to 80 percent appearing on normal-looking skin.
Melanomas can come in a variety of shapes, sizes and colours. Regardless of how they look, early detection is crucial for effective treatment. If melanoma spreads deeper into the skin or other parts of the body, it becomes harder to treat and can be fatal. The Skin Cancer Foundation uses both the ABCDEs of melanoma and the Ugly Duckling method to educate people on how to spot melanoma.
(Image: (Image: Getty))
The first is a guide to help individuals recognise the warning signs of melanoma. The second strategy is based on the idea that most normal moles look similar, with one standing out like an ugly duckling.
This emphasises the importance of not just checking for irregularities, but also comparing any suspicious spot to surrounding moles to see if it looks different. These ‘ugly duckling’ lesions or outlier lesions can be larger, smaller, lighter or darker than surrounding moles.
Isolated lesions without any surrounding moles for comparison are also considered ‘ugly ducklings’. To diagnose melanoma, a dermatologist biopsies the suspicious tissue and sends it to a lab. From here a dermatologist determines whether cancer cells are present.
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