A 26-year-old woman from Connecticut, Chloë Bourgoin, has spoken about her experience with skin cancer to alert others to an often overlooked symptom. Bourgoin, who possesses several moles, admitted she was unaware of the significance of regular skin checks and last underwent one in 2018.
Discussing her case with Newsweek, Bourgoin shared that she did not recognize itching as a potential indicator of skin cancer. “The mole was new, probably appearing about three years ago from photographic evidence, and seemed normal until I experienced itching in my lower leg end of 2025,” she stated.
Prompted by curiosity, Bourgoin’s internet search on the strange itch led her to suspect a serious issue, which a dermatologist later confirmed—her mole was malignant melanoma. As explained by the Mayo Clinic, this is a skin cancer form originating in the skin’s pigment.
Skin cancer ranks as the most prevalent cancer type in the U.S., with cases climbing swiftly over the past three decades, reports the American Academy of Dermatology Association. Overexposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation from sunlight or tanning beds raises skin cancer risk, alongside previous personal encounters with the illness.
The majority of melanoma instances link to UV exposure, and early sunburns can elevate disease risk. Common melanoma symptoms include irregularly shaped moles, color or size changes, unusual borders, or itchiness and bleeding.
Bourgoin later discovered her maternal family history of melanoma, which can increase cancer susceptibility. Her treatment comprised a biopsy and excision surgery, aimed at removing the melanoma and surrounding healthy skin to prevent recurrence.
Bourgoin showed in a video that the surgery left her “missing a chunk of my leg,” with extra skin removed from around the mole site. However, the procedure succeeded. She shared with Newsweek, “My recovery has been going well, and I am now cancer-free!”