Coleen Nolan's skin cancer diagnosis prompts public health reminder

Coleen Nolan noticed it only because her sister Maureen kept pointing it out—a small, reddish patch of skin on her shoulder that seemed unremarkable enough to ignore. But when she finally decided to have a doctor examine it, the diagnosis came back with a weight that caught her off guard: basal cell carcinoma, a common form of skin cancer. Her first reaction, she would later tell the audience of Loose Women, was to laugh. Not from relief, but from a kind of disbelief at the absurdity of it all.

At 58, Nolan carries the particular burden of a family history that has made her intimately familiar with cancer's reach. Her sisters Anne, Linda, and Bernie have all battled the disease. Bernie died from it in 2013, just 52 years old. Linda is currently living with a brain cancer diagnosis. When Nolan learned about her own condition, her instinct was to keep it quiet, to minimize it in her own mind as something trivial compared to what her family had endured. But she chose instead to speak publicly about it, and in doing so, she became part of a quiet public health conversation that extends far beyond her own experience.

In Ireland alone, more than 13,000 new skin cancer cases are diagnosed each year. The National Cancer Registry projects that figure will double by 2040—a trajectory that makes early detection not just a matter of individual health, but of public concern. Nolan's openness about her diagnosis, and her sister Linda's public encouragement for others to act on their instincts when they notice something amiss, carries real weight in a culture where people often hesitate to seek medical attention over what seems like a minor blemish.

The distinction between basal cell carcinoma and melanoma matters, though both warrant attention. Melanoma, the more serious form, develops when skin cells begin to grow abnormally, most often triggered by ultraviolet exposure from the sun or tanning beds. Certain risk factors stack the odds: pale skin that burns easily, red or blonde hair, a family history of melanoma, or simply having many moles or freckles. The type of sun exposure that causes the most damage is sudden, intense exposure—the kind that happens during a holiday and results in sunburn.

The warning signs are learnable. The HSE offers an ABCDE checklist: Asymmetry (irregular shape), Border (wavering or notched edges, unlike the smooth border of a normal mole), Colour (multiple shades or darker patches), Diameter (larger than 6mm), and Evolving (changing in size, shape, or color over time). Melanomas are more likely to appear on the back in men and on the legs in women, though they can emerge anywhere. A mole that itches or bleeds, or one that becomes raised, deserves scrutiny.

When someone notices a concerning change, the path forward is straightforward. A GP can refer them to a pigmented lesion clinic—services available across Ireland. Diagnosis typically involves a biopsy, where the suspicious mole is surgically removed and examined under a microscope. If melanoma is confirmed, the entire lesion is usually removed from the start, and additional testing may check whether the cancer has spread to lymph nodes.

Prevention remains the most reliable defense. Sunscreen with a high protection factor—50 or higher—should be worn year-round, with particular diligence during summer months and holidays. Tanning beds and sunlamps should be avoided entirely. These are not complicated measures, but they require consistency and intention.

What Nolan's diagnosis illustrates, beyond the medical facts, is the power of paying attention to your own body and acting on what you notice. Her sister saw something and spoke up. Nolan listened and sought care. Now, by sharing the experience publicly, she has given others permission to do the same—to take seriously the small changes that might otherwise be dismissed, and to trust that getting them checked is not an overreaction but an act of self-preservation.