Singer Mistakes Cancer for Bug Bite: Natasha Hamilton's Warning

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The 42-year-old singer's "mosquito bite" was actually basal cell carcinoma - the most common type of skin cancer that affects thousands each year.

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"I felt it and went, 'oh, mosquito bite' - it wasn't until maybe four weeks later when it was still itching that I realized something wasn't right," Hamilton revealed on Good Morning Britain.

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Hamilton believes her years of using sunbeds before TV shows like Top of the Pops led to her cancer diagnosis: "I don't think there was ever a time I didn't burn."

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What does skin cancer actually look like? For Hamilton, it started as "just a dark freckle" she'd had for years that suddenly changed and began to itch persistently.

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The singer's cancer scare prompted her to check her mother's skin - leading to another shocking discovery when her mom was diagnosed with the exact same cancer.

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Skin cancer rates have jumped a staggering 147% in the UK since the early 1990s, with thousands of new cases diagnosed yearly - could you be at risk?

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The warning signs you shouldn't ignore: spots that itch for weeks, changing moles, sores that don't heal, and new growths - Hamilton now checks her skin regularly.

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"It was kind of an 'Oh, I'm not invincible' moment," Hamilton admitted after doctors successfully removed her cancer - but she's not taking any chances.

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The pop star's message is clear: check your skin, avoid sunbeds, use sunscreen daily, and never dismiss persistent changes - what looks like a bug bite could be something far more serious.

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