Emmerdale star Liam Fox has revealed he waited eight years for a cancer diagnosis as he discussed his treatment journey. 

The actor, 54, who played Dan Spencer in the ITV soap from 2011 to 2023, said after ‘waiting since 2017’ he finally underwent surgery last month. 

In a series of pH๏τos shared to his Instagram, Liam has kept fans up to date with his carcinoma removal.

Uploading a pH๏τo with a dressing on his forehead, he wrote: ‘Been waiting ages to have a basal cell carcinoma removed. 

‘Finally sorted at the fabulous plastic surgery dept at St Helens Hospital… what an absolutely superb fun friendly team. Keep out the sun when we get it folks.’

In a further update, Liam added: ‘Just changing the dressing after my carcinoma removal and thought I’d post the picture… nice work from St Helens NHS England but another reminder to cover up…’ 

Emmerdale star Liam Fox has revealed he waited eight years for a cancer diagnosis as he discussed his treatment journey

The actor, 54, who played Dan Spencer in the ITV soap from 2011 to 2023, said after ‘waiting since 2017’ he finally underwent surgery last month

He concluded: ‘I’ve been using plenty of sun screen for decades, this could likely be damage from my teens when I didn’t think about the dangers. At least I’m perfect for gangster castings now.’

Speaking in an interview with The Sun, the actor explained: ‘I’ve been lucky. If this had been a ‘melanoma’ rather than a ‘carcenoma’ it could kill you.

‘None of us want to be that person that nags the NHS, we know they’re busy we know they’re overworked, but when you know in yourself that something’s not right, you’ve got keep pushing.”

Explaining how he first went to the doctors back in 2017, he added: ‘They said “Oh no, it’s just flakey skin”| it’s fine, it’s nothing to worry about. A few weeks later I went back to them again because it was still there, I just wasn’t happy with what they’d told me, it just didn’t feel right.’ 

Liam was first diagnosed with Solar Keratosis but the problem continued, he was eventually told he had a carcinoma in January 2024. 

Precancerous squamous cell carcinoma leads to actinic keratosis leads to a skin disorder that causes rough, scaly patches. The patches can sometimes bleed and become ulcerous.

People that have a history of heavy sun exposure are most likely to experience this type of skin cancer.

With every bad, blistering sunburn comes a heightened risk of squamous cell carcinoma.

In a series of pH๏τos shared to his Instagram, Liam has kept fans up to date with his carcinoma removal

More often than not squamous cell carcinoma is curable when treated early. In fact, the survival rate is as high as 98 percent.

A sore that bleeds may indicate another type of non-melanoma skin cancer called basal cell carcinoma which, like SCC, has a high survival rate. Still, people should treat it aggressively once it’s detected. 

Basal cell carcinoma is the most common type of cancer overall and the most common type of skin cancer more specifically.

Melanoma is one of the most dangerous types of skin cancer, accounting for four out of five deaths due to the disease but only 1 per cent of total cases.

WHAT IS BASAL CELL CARCINOMA?

Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is a type of non-melanoma skin cancer.

Non-melanoma means it does not involve skin pigment cells.  

BCC often appears as scabs that bleed

BCC makes up more than 80 per cent of all forms of skin cancer in the UK and US.

About 5.4 million basal and squamous cell skin cancers are diagnosed each year in the US and around 100,000 in the UK.

It is mainly caused by overexposure to UV light from the sun or tanning beds. 

BCC can occur anywhere on the body but is most common on areas exposed to the sun, such as the face, neck and ears.

The following people are most at risk:

People with fair skin or hairThose who work outdoorsPeople who use sunbedsThose with a personal history of the condition

BCC is usually painless. Early symptoms often only include a scab that bleeds occasionally and does not heal.

Some appear as flat, red, scaly marks or have a pearl-like rim. The latter can then erode into a ulcer.

Others are lumpy with shiny nodules crossed by blood vessels.

Most BCCs can be cured, however, treatment is complex if they are left for a long time. 

Treatment usually involves removing the cancerous tumour and some of the surrounding skin.

Source: British Skin Foundation and NHS Choices