Urgent surgery for man after BBC sun safe campaign

2 days ago

Sian Filcher

BBC News, Derby

Mitchell Barwell was urgently referred for surgery to remove a pigmented lesion on his back

BBC Mitchel Barwell, BBC Radio Derby producer, standing outside Bloomfield House in Derby. — Mitchell Barwell was urgently referred for surgery to remove a pigmented lesion on his back

A radio producer has said he never suspected he could be at risk from skin cancer until he had a check as part of a campaign launched by a former colleague.

Mitchell Barwell, 27, was working at a BBC Radio Derby Sun Safe event as part of a campaign in memory of presenter Colin Bloomfield, who lost his life to melanoma in 2015.

During a quiet moment at the event, Mitchell decided to get checked himself - and was told to make an urgent appointment with a GP about a mole on his back.

The GP then sent Mitchell to see a dermatologist and he is now on a waiting list for urgent two to three week surgery to remove the mole.

Mitchell says he is grateful for the relaunched campaign in memory of Colin

BBC Radio Derby producer Mitchell Barwell standing next to a photo of the late presenter Colin Bloomfield. — Mitchell says he is grateful for the relaunched campaign in memory of Colin

Mitchell said: "Even if it is nothing, in the future it could have been something and I'd would have never known. It could have been there for years developing, and get to a point where it has a worse outcome."

"When you're younger, there's a naivety to think anything's ever going to be wrong with you.

"So when they said maybe there is something, it did throw me off a bit. I was properly shocked at first.

"I thought 'I don't even take my shirt off really, how can I have something that's mostly caused by sun damage on my back":[]}