The 32-year-old, who boasts 19 million Twitch followers, shared his diagnosis in a post on X on Tuesday. “I’m still in a bit of shock but want to keep you all updated,” he said in the post.
His dermatologist determined Blevins had melanoma after removing a mole on the bottom of his foot during a routine skin check.
“They are optimistic that we caught it in the early stages,” Blevins wrote in the post.
He added that doctors also biopsied a second dark spot near the initial mole and removed a large area around the melanoma to determine whether they had successfully gotten all the cancerous tissue.
“I’m grateful to have hope in finding this early, but please take this as a PSA to get skin checkups,” Blevins said in the post.
“I wanted to use my platform to shine light on the importance of routine skin checkups,” Blevins and his wife, Jessica Blevins, said in a statement. “We are feeling extremely optimistic and will keep everyone posted as we chat more with our doctors.”
Blevins’ post follows a recent spate of prominent cancer diagnoses in people younger than 50, a concerning trend that is emerging globally.
No one knows exactly what is driving the trend, but researchers hypothesize that changes in the types of risk factors people are exposed to increases the risk for cancer at a younger age. Smoking, alcohol consumption, air pollution, obesity, a lack of physical activity and a diet with few fruits and vegetables are key risk factors for cancer, according to the World Health Organization.
What is melanoma?
Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States; 1 in 5 Americans will develop skin cancer in their lifetime, according to the American Academy of Dermatology.
Blevins was diagnosed with melanoma, which is a rare type of skin cancer — only about 1% of skin cancer cases — but accounts for a large majority of skin cancer deaths. Melanoma begins in the skin but has a tendency to spread to other parts of the body, which is why it leads to more deaths, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The average age of melanoma diagnosis is 66, but it is not uncommon among young adults. In fact, it is one of the most common cancers in young adults, especially young women, according to the American Cancer Society
Risk factors for melanoma include having lighter skin color, being exposed to UV light, having many moles, having a family history of melanoma and having a personal history of melanoma or other skin cancers, according to the American Cancer Society.
Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States; 1 in 5 Americans will develop skin cancer in their lifetime, according to the American Academy of Dermatology.
Blevins was diagnosed with melanoma, which is a rare type of skin cancer — only about 1% of skin cancer cases — but accounts for a large majority of skin cancer deaths. Melanoma begins in the skin but has a tendency to spread to other parts of the body, which is why it leads to more deaths, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The average age of melanoma diagnosis is 66, but it is not uncommon among young adults. In fact, it is one of the most common cancers in young adults, especially young women, according to the American Cancer Society
Risk factors for melanoma include having lighter skin color, being exposed to UV light, having many moles, having a family history of melanoma and having a personal history of melanoma or other skin cancers, according to the American Cancer Society.
How to prevent skin cancer
The American Academy of Dermatology recommends that people use sun protection, avoid direct sunlight midday and avoid tanning beds to prevent skin cancer.
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