Real Housewife Bethenny Frankel Diagnosed With Basal Cell Carinoma
Earlier today, “Real Housewives of New York City” star Bethenny Frankel confirmed a growth on her face has been diagnosed as skin cancer.
Frankel told People she noticed the growth was getting bigger, “I guessed it to be a basal cell carcinoma and had it lanced and removed. The doctor confirmed it is indeed basal cell carcinoma, a form of skin cancer, and says while it is cancer, I am lucky to have it removed — so it won’t affect my overall health.”
Just last month, a fan asked Frankel about a bandage on her face that appeared in an Instagram video. The reality TV star revealed she had a growth removed and tested for skin cancer.
According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, basal cell carcinoma is the most common form of skin cancer, with more than four million cases of it diagnosed in the U.S. each year. It’s also the same type of skin cancer actor Hugh Jackman had.
Frankel is scheduled to undergo Mohs surgery, a micrographic surgery where surgeons remove the thinnest possible layer of the cancerous tissue. The layer is then stained and examined under a microscope. If any cancer is left, more layers of tissue are removed. This is repeated until the cancer is completely gone.
Frankel will then have plastic surgery to remove any scarring.
Despite the diagnosis, Frankel is still going strong in her Hurricane Harvey relief efforts through her B Strong: Find Your Yes — Helping Women in Crisis Charity. Just yesterday she posted this photo with three female marines who lost their homes in the flood.
Update: Frankel continued to document her skin cancer journey by sharing a photo after Mohs surgery:
Header image via Bethenny.com
Image via Creative Commons/Gina Hughes
Trish is the Cancer Editor at The Mighty. She lost her father to stage 4 lung cancer in August 2016, and previously worked at a children’s cancer research organization, so she knows firsthand about the cancer experience. A lover of hip hop music, hot sauce and kimchi, she lives in Maryland with her husband, two dogs, cat and feisty 2-year-old daughter. Check her story out in the book, “A Letter to My Mom.“
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