A man who thought he had an ‘insect bite’ was told by doctors that he might only have 12 months to live. Tanning addict Jack Howell felt a spot on his back which was sore when he touched it.
He thought he had been bitten by an insect but it soon began to itch and bleed. He went to see his GP, who sent him straight to hospital.
A biopsy later confirmed he had cancer – stage three advanced melanoma. Now, Mr Howell has beaten the cancer and sworn off sunbeds for life.
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Mr Howell, from Swansea, announced he is cancer-free with a video on TikTok – which has been viewed more than 4.5m times. He said: “I felt a spot on my back, which was sore to touch and seemed to be raised.
“It got super itchy and uncomfortable. I thought it was an insect bite but then it started to bleed, and I noticed I was really fatigued and feeling quite down.
“I asked my mum to take a look at the area and her face told me immediately [that the news was bad]. My GP sent me straight to the hospital where they did a small biopsy and 10 days later they rang to tell me I had cancer.”
Mr Howell had surgery to remove the spot but scans revealed the cancer had grown larger than doctors had anticipated – it had spread to his groin. He later underwent two major surgeries to have as much as possible removed.
He also had radiotherapy, which was unsuccessful, so then began immunotherapy treatment for a year. After the initial treatments failed, he was told immunotherapy was his only option and he would have about 12 months to live if that also failed.
Mr Howell, who was 21 when he got his diagnosis, said: “My feelings stayed pretty natural the entire way through. The moment I heard the word cancer my body went into survival mode. I knew from that moment it was fight or flight.”
He added: “That’s when the real fear kicked in and overall shock. It’s not a feeling I’ll ever be able to describe, it was just devastating.
“After treatment has been the hardest part – dealing with the trauma and the damage it has done to my body eats away at me every day.” Mr Howell spent years using sunbeds several times a week and got his first tan at the age of 16.
He would use them three to four times a week for 15 to 18 minutes during each session. He asked the team at hospital if they felt using sunbeds had potentially contributed to his diagnosis.
They reportedly told him the severity of his cancer and how much it had spread was unusual for someone of his age. He said: “I don’t know if I’ll ever get a solid answer on what caused my cancer, but I believe sunbeds played a massive part in it.
“From someone who was young and naive, I now have to live the rest of my life in a damaged body. I didn’t believe cancer would happen to me, but it did.”
Describing the ‘best day of his life’ when he was told he had beaten the cancer, Mr Howell said: “I was really fortunate to have had incredible support from both my friends and family. I don’t think I would be here today without them.
“In talking to them about it and how I am lucky to survive, all of them have opened up about how hard it was for them to see – we all collectively suffered. Thankfully, I am stable, off all treatment and just have my routine checks.
“It was Christmas last year when I had the all clear. This was and forever will be the best day of my life. It’s my biggest achievement yet, beating cancer.”
According to Cancer Research UK, too much UV radiation is the third biggest cause of cancer and the main cause of skin cancer in the UK. Mr Howell said young people should think twice before doing anything which could harm their health.
He now uses alternative tanning methods, such as fake-tan lotions. He added: “That’s the thing about cancer, it doesn’t care. Embrace your natural self and own it. Don’t hurt yourself to fit in.”
Sarah Carter is a health and wellness expert residing in the UK. With a background in healthcare, she offers evidence-based advice on fitness, nutrition, and mental well-being, promoting healthier living for readers.
