Gov. Kathy Hochul back to work after skin cancer removal procedure
NEW YORK (WABC) -- New York Gov. Kathy Hochul released a new video revealing she is back to work after undergoing an outpatient procedure for skin cancer on Friday morning.
On Thursday, she shared she was diagnosed with basal cell carcinoma on her nose during a routine checkup a few weeks ago.
Hochul, 66, posted video on social media thanking New Yorkers for wishing her a speedy recovery.
She pointed to the bandage on her nose and said there is some swelling and she could still get a black eye.
Basal cell carcinoma is among the most common types of skin cancer. It is highly curable, especially when it is caught early. It is a slow-growing cancer that is usually confined to the surface of skin. Doctors often remove it with a shallow incision.
Hochul urged people to get regular medical checkups.
"This is an opportunity for me to talk about this because I want everyone to be so cautious, there's about six million diagnoses a day from the CDC and I want to make sure that everybody is smart about this. Use your sun tan lotion, make sure your kids are protected," Hochul said.
Doctors say basal cell carcinoma is often caused by ultraviolet light, or prolonged sun exposure, and they are urging people to use sunscreen with titanium or zinc, and with SPF 30 and above.
Also, it can affect any skin type, so doctors hope those in darker-skinned communities stay equally vigilant.
"It's a very well-studied, known phenomenon that skin cancers are often diagnosed later in African American people or darker skin types, which means that the cancer has longer time to grow and spread, and there are often worse outcomes because of that," said Stony Brook Medicine Dermatologist Dr. Neal Shah.
Shah says one of the first symptoms to look out for is bleeding and look out for red or white blotches and pearly bumps.
(The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
----------
* Get Eyewitness News Delivered
* Download the abc7NY app for breaking news alerts
Submit a tip or story idea to Eyewitness News
Have a breaking news tip or an idea for a story we should cover? Send it to Eyewitness News using the form below. If attaching a video or photo, terms of use apply.
