Hugh Jackman has revealed he has four separate skin cancers removed in the last 18 months.
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The ‘Wolverine’ star, who first discovered a mark on his nose in November 2013, says it was his wife, Deborra-Lee Furness, who first persuaded him to go and get it checked out.
Hugh Jackman
The 46-year-old was told he had basal cell carcinoma, one of three types of skin cancer.
"It's always a bit of a shock just hearing the word 'cancer,'" he tells People magazine.
"I was trying to keep calm about it but it wasn't until [his skin cancer surgeon] Dr. Michael Albom really explained to me that what I had, in a way, was the kind of skin cancer you want to have if you're going to have it," he continued.
"Basal cell carcinoma is just something you have to deal with. It's cancerous. It will grow. You just have to get it out."
The actor has since had four separate skin cancers removed in the last 18 months, three from his nose and one from his shoulder.
"I go every three months for checkups," he says. "It's the new normal for me. My doctor says I'll likely have more and if that's your cross to bear in life, you should be so lucky."
Hugh has since launched a line of kids’ sunscreen called Pure Sun Defense, and hopes to raise awareness about how sun exposure can lead to serious complications later in life.