Guernsey man says a little itch turned out to be skin cancer

Two years ago, Tom Jones noticed a mole on his chest that he “didn’t bother with”.

The head of hospitality in Herm said “it was a little itchy” every so often but otherwise caused him no trouble.

A visit to the doctor confirmed it was a melanoma that had grown rapidly under the skin.

“Don’t think that little itch is nothing because it’s what’s underneath is the problem, not what’s on top,” he said. “It came back to haunt me.”

Mr Jones said he was now a “breast less” after the 4.5 inch (11.43cm) melanoma under his right nipple needed to be removed.

He said the growth on his chest “changed colour and it began to be quite an annoyance”.

He got checked over at the hospital and was told it had been there “an awful long time” and it had grown significantly under his skin.

An operation saw the full removal of his right breast.

Mr Jones said: “It had been growing quite rapidly underneath the skin, so therefore it wasn’t treatable with a small incision, it had to be taken out completely.”

The melanoma was successfully cut out but he said he still goes for regular check-ups.

He urged visitors to the island to take responsibility of their safety in the sun.

“I’m personally more aware of that than anyone else because I have fallen foul to not protecting myself,” he said.

“Don’t hesitate, get that sun cream on, and if you’ve got an itch, get it checked.

“It’s everyone’s personal responsibility and it’s really important for you to bring some protection with you.”

This story is part of BBC Guernsey’s Sun Safety Campaign.