YouTuber Ninja is diagnosed with cancer aged 32 after doctors noticed an unusual mark during a routine check up

By James On Mar 27, 2024

Youtuber Ninja was diagnosed with cancer at the age of 32 after doctors noticed an unusual mark during a routine check-up.

The professional gamer from Illinois, also known as Tyler Blevins, revealed on X last night that he is battling skin cancer.

The 32-year-old said that during a routine check-up that his wife Jessica urged him to attend, doctors noticed a mole on the bottom of his foot. The birthmark was later identified as melanoma, a type of cancer and the third most common type of skin cancer.

The Fortnite gamer wrote: ‘Okay, I’m still a little in shock, but I want to keep you all informed. A few weeks ago I went to a dermatologist for an annual skin/mole check that Jess proactively scheduled for me.

‘There was a mole under my foot that they wanted to remove out of caution. It came back as melanoma, but they are optimistic we caught it early.”

Youtuber Ninja (pictured) was diagnosed with cancer at the age of 32 after doctors noticed an unusual mark during a routine check-up

The 32-year-old (right) said that during a routine check-up his wife Jessica (left) urged him to go to, doctors noticed a mole on the bottom of his foot. The birthmark was later identified as melanoma, a type of cancer and the third most common type of skin cancer

He added: ‘Another dark spot appeared nearby so today they biopsied that and removed a larger area around the melanoma in the hope that under the microscope they will see clear non-melanoma borders and that we will know we have it.

“I’m grateful that I have hope to catch this early, but please take this as a PSA for skin checks.”

Ninja’s shocking cancer news was followed by an avalanche of well wishes from other internet personalities and fans on social media.

Fellow gamer and streamer SypherPK said: “I’m hoping for the best. Lots of love to Jess for being proactive too.”

Jack Dunlop, also known as CouRage on YouTube, wrote: “I love you brother. Pray for you.”

Also popular in the Fortnite community are Nick Eh 30, who told Ninja he was “sending the best vibes his way,” and Pluto V2, who added, “I’m praying for you, Tyler.” (Good job) Jess, for looking at that.”

Another streamer, DansGaming, said: ‘Glad you caught it early! This procedure would have saved my mother’s life if they had caught it early enough.”

Popular streamer Jordan Payton, also known as LEGIQN, said: “Praying it’s quick and they get off easy!

“You got this and good for Jess for keeping up with the checks.”

Twitch content creator Jake’n’Bake wrote: “Thanks for keeping people informed. And hopes that everything can be removed without further problems.’

Other content creators shared their own experiences with melanoma under Ninja’s post on X

By talking about his diagnosis online, the gamer inspired some users to get their own numbers checked

Jake also revealed that he recently had his own experience with cancer, adding: ‘I recently had a basal cell carcinoma removed from my scalp and am now trying to keep up with routine skin checks. Wear your sunscreen everyone!”

Influencer Lex, also known by her username Madeyewlook, also spoke out about melanoma.

She said: ‘I had melanoma on my lower back a few years ago, it’s so scary to hear. Areas that don’t get sun and have moles are areas to keep an eye on.

‘Funnily enough, I wanted to remove mine from my lower back just because it was in the middle of my body and it was driving me crazy. Good thing.’

‘I had it removed from my face about three years ago. Very scary scenes, but I now have a badass scar, it almost looks like a battle wound. Praying for you,” said Twitch streamer DunkinHonut.

Ninja told his fans, “I’m grateful that I have hope to catch this early, but please consider this a PSA to get skin checks.”

Ninja (pictured) inspired others by sharing his diagnosis. Streamer AstroAceTV said: ‘I’ve had one for a few years and I want to get it checked now because it’s better to know than not. Thanks for (raising) awareness, I’m sending all the good vibes your way Ninja.”

Ninja inspired others to have their own moles checked regularly by doctors

Celebrities who have also been diagnosed with malignant melanoma include Hugh Jackman, Khloe Kardashian, Bob Marley, Andy Cohen, Diane Keaton, Ewan McGregor, Molly-Mae Haag, Caitlyn Jenner and Teddi Mellencamp.

By talking about his diagnosis online, Ninja inspired some users to get their own numbers checked.

Streamer AstroAceTV said: ‘I’ve had one for a few years and I want to get it checked now because it’s better to know than not. Thanks for (raising) awareness, I’m sending all the good vibes your way Ninja.”

“I’ll keep you in my thoughts and prayers. I’ve never considered a skin check. I hope others like me take this as a valuable lesson and talk to our doctors about it,” wrote a user named Luck.

What is malignant melanoma?

Malignant melanoma is a serious form of skin cancer that starts in melanocytes, cells in the top layer of the skin that produce melanin, which gives the skin its color.

Although it is less common than other types of skin cancer, it is more dangerous because it can spread more quickly to other organs if not treated early.

Symptoms

A new mole or a change in an existing mole can be signs of melanoma.

Melanomas can occur anywhere on your body, but are more common in areas that are frequently exposed to the sun.

Some rarer types can affect the eyes, soles of the feet, palms of the hands, or genitals.

Check your skin for unusual changes. Use a mirror or ask a partner or friend to check areas you can’t see.

In particular, look for:

Birthmarks with an uneven shape or edges
Moles with a mix of colors
Large moles – melanomas are often more than 6 mm wide
Birthmarks that change size, shape or color over time

Causes

Ultraviolet (UV) light is the most common cause of melanoma. It comes from the sun and is used in tanning beds.

Melanoma is more common in older people, but younger people can also get it.

You are also more likely to develop melanoma if you:

Pale skin that burns easily in the sun
Red or blond hair
Blue or green eyes
A large number of freckles or moles
Have had a lot of sun exposure and have been burned many times in the past
Lots of use of sunbeds
A history of skin cancer in your family or you have previously had skin cancer

If you have black or brown skin, you are less likely to get melanoma, but you can still get it.

Prevention

Staying safe in the sun is the best way to reduce the risk of skin cancer (both melanoma and non-melanoma).

Do the following:

Stay out of the sun during the hottest part of the day
Keep your arms and legs covered and wear a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses that protect against ultraviolet (UV) rays
Use sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 30 and at least 4-star UVA protection – make sure you reapply regularly
Make sure babies and children are protected from the sun; their skin is much more sensitive than the skin of adults

Therapy

Melanoma skin cancer can often be treated. The treatment you receive depends on where the disease is located, whether the disease has spread, and your general health.

Surgery is the main treatment for melanoma. Sometimes radiotherapy, medications and chemotherapy are also used.

Surgery may involve removing the melanoma and an area of healthy skin around it, swollen lymph nodes if the cancer has spread to them, and other parts of the body if the cancer has spread to them.

If a large portion of skin needs to be removed, a skin graft may be necessary, where relatives can be taken from another part of the body to cover the area where the melanoma was.

Radiation therapy is sometimes used to reduce the size of large melanomas and to control and relieve symptoms.

Targeted medications and immunotherapy are used to treat melanomas that cannot be treated surgically or that have spread to the lymph nodes or other parts of the body.

Chemotherapy, which kills cancer cells, is sometimes used to treat advanced melanoma when it has spread to another part of the body. It doesn’t work as well as other treatments, but can be used if you can’t get it.

How dangerous is it?

General for people with melanoma in England:

almost all people (nearly 100%) survive their melanoma for 1 year or more after they are diagnosed
about 90 in 100 people (about 90%) will survive their melanoma for 5 years or more after diagnosis
more than 85 in 100 people (more than 85%) will survive their melanoma for 10 years or more after they are diagnosed

Sources: NHS, the Skin Cancer Foundation and Cancer Research UK