A Dublin woman is sharing her experience of being diagnosed with skin cancer to highlight the importance of getting any concerning skin changes checked out by your GP.  

Ciara McGrath (38) from Tallaght is one of 11,500 people diagnosed with skin cancer in Ireland every year.   

Skin cancer is Ireland’s most common cancer, and the National Cancer Registry of Ireland (NCRI) expects the number of people diagnosed with skin cancer in Ireland to double by 2040. 

Ciara was first diagnosed with melanoma in May 2020, after she developed a small, itchy freckle on the side of her face. 

Commenting on her first melanoma diagnosis, Ciara said: “They took off the freckle and biopsied it, and they found out it was stage 1a melanoma. I remember feeling absolute panic when they told me that. I didn’t know what to think – melanoma had never entered my head until that point. 

“I went back for a wide local excision and a lymph node biopsy. I went back to Tallaght Hospital two weeks after that, and they said they’d got it all. I was relieved. I got skin checks for the next few years, and everything was coming back fine.” 

However, in late 2024, Ciara began to experience tiredness that wouldn’t lift, no matter how much sleep she got. As a busy mother of three who worked full-time as a carer for people with disabilities, Ciara originally attributed it to her hectic lifestyle, as her blood tests had come back clear.  

Around Christmas 2024, the tiredness continued, and Ciara then began to experience shoulder pain. She went to A&E and tests showed that the melanoma had returned. 

Speaking about her second melanoma diagnosis, Ciara said:“They found a mass on the bottom of my right lung. My gut told me that it was cancer. I knew it, but I didn’t think it could be melanoma because it wasn’t on my skin, and my last skin check was only four months before.  

“I was kept in that night, and they did more tests the next day that revealed the extent of it – I had stage four melanoma in both of my lungs, a 12-centimetre tumour in my liver, some in my chest bone and a lot of lymph node and muscle involvement. It was horrific. It was the most devastating thing I’d ever been told.” 

Ciara started immunotherapy within ten days of her diagnosis, and her medical team found that she had a genetic mutation that meant her cancer might be responsive to a specific targeted treatment, which she said has delivered good results. 

Speaking about her treatment for stage four melanoma, Ciara said:“Last September, I had a scan and it showed there were only nodules left in my lungs, and the tumour in my liver had shrunk to four centimetres. I’ll probably only get nine months to a year on that treatment, and the cancer will most likely progress again, but I hope it works for longer than that. 
 
“I had more scans after Christmas last year, and they came back really good – the tumour in the liver is stable, it hasn’t shrunk but it also hasn’t grown, and the nodules in my lungs aren’t active anymore. I’m now getting targeted radiotherapy on my liver with the hope of keeping it stable for a long time.”
 
Ciara is sharing her story as she wants people to understand the importance of protecting their skin from the sun, and to be aware of the risk of using sunbeds. She encourages people to go to their GP if they notice any skin changes. 

Sharing the importance of protecting your skin from the sun and not using sunbeds, Ciara said: “I loved the sun when I was younger, I was always out in it and I didn’t wear sunscreen in Ireland because I didn’t think the sun was that strong, but I did when I was abroad. 

“In my early 20s, I used sunbeds, but I wouldn’t say I was a chronic sunbed user. I mainly used them prior to going on holidays to get a ‘base tan’. I think if I knew about the dangers of sunbeds then, I probably would’ve thought twice about using them. Here I am dealing with all of this now.” 

Last May, the Irish Cancer Society formed a Coalition Against Sunbeds with other key stakeholders including the Irish Skin Foundation, Melanoma Support Ireland, the Irish Association of Dermatologists, the Irish College of GPs, Breakthrough Cancer Research, the Marie Keating Foundation and others.  

The Coalition Against Sunbeds is urging the Government to institute a total ban on sunbeds, as sunbed use greatly increases skin cancer risk. 

Reflecting on what it’s like to live with stage four melanoma, and her hopes for the future, Ciara said: “Although stage four melanoma is classed as an incurable and high mortality disease, I am hoping with all the new advances in treatments that I will be able to see my children grow up. That’s my main goal.  

“Cancer treatment is evolving every day, and I am hoping that I will be here for a long time to come. In a situation that makes you stare mortality in the face, I keep hope and faith that one day I will be cured.” 

Kevin O’Hagan, Cancer Prevention Manager at the Irish Cancer Society, said: “As Ciara’s powerful story shows, it so important to do all we can to reduce our risk of skin cancer. We encourage everyone to take steps to protect their skin from sun damage.  

“Actions you can take include wearing long-sleeved tops, appl

ying a high SPF sunscr

een, wearing a wide-brimmed hat, avoiding being outdoors during the hottest part of the day, from 11am to 3pm, and never use sunbeds.  

“By doing this you, you can protect your s

kin and reduce your likelihood of developing skin cancer. These small changes can make a big difference.”   

Anyone with questions or concerns about 

skin cancer, can contact the Irish Cancer Society Support Line on Freephone 1800 200 700 or supportline@irishcancer.ie