After noticing an irregular mole while pregnant with her second child, a biopsy revealed Ali Fedotowsky Manno had skin cancer. Now, the former Bachelorette is opening up about her experience with basal cell carcinoma and the importance of vigilant skincare.
Luckily, her cancer was found early. “It’s not life-threatening when you catch it that early, but still, even hearing the word ‘cancer’ is scary,” Fedotowsky Manno told Us Weekly. “No matter how treatable it is, it’s still a scary word to hear. I mean, when the words came out of his mouth, my stomach dropped… because I had no idea what it was.”
Basal cell carcinoma is one of the most common types of skin cancer. Fortunately for Fedotwosky Manno and others with it, it is “highly treatable.”
“I spent my whole life never getting my skin checked,” the blogger told the publication. “When it came to my skin, I cared if it looked tan, you know, I was laying out on the sun, tanning beds, all of that.” After going to the dermatologist about sunspots, her doctor redirected her focus. He said, “‘We need to start checking your skin for spots, not sunspots, but more so moles that look irregular.’ And I was like, ‘Oh, wow. Oh, my gosh, I feel so vain. Why didn’t I pay attention to this before?’”
A few months before finding out she had skin cancer, Fedotowsky Manno tested another irregular mole and discovered it was precancerous. “There’s a scale that they call like precancerous to cancerous. And it was, like, in the moderate zone, but not quite basal cell carcinoma. Then the next one I got checked was the one that ended up being the basal cell carcinoma,” she said.
Fedotowsky Manno advises the average person should see their dermatologist once a year, though she goes every six months after her diagnosis. She got her mole tested after noticing it got darker. “You want to look for irregularity in your moles,” she said, including moles that are an “interesting shape.” She also warns to watch out for changes in shape or color.
Fedotowsky Manno Revealed She Had Basal Cell Carcinoma on Instagram in January
In January, Fedotowsky Manno revealed she had skin cancer through a lengthy post on Instagram warning others to “get your skin checked.”
“When my dermatologist used the c-word, I just about fainted in his office,” she wrote. “Thankfully, the type of skin cancer I have is rarely fatal and really never fatal when you catch it early.”
She showed off her scar above her belly button, where potentially cancerous moles had been removed, with the note, “Needless to say, I’m never exposing my stomach to sun without sunscreen again!”
“The VERY first thing I did when I got diagnosed was text my family on a group text urging them all to get their skin checked,” wrote Fedotowsky Manno. She added, “Moving forward I plan on making it a priority of mine to use the best natural products on my skin and be rigorous about applying sunscreen and reminding all of you to do the same!”
Now, Fedotowsky Manno Advocates for the American Cancer Society
While speaking with Us Weekly, Fedotowsky Manno advocated for greater support of the American Cancer Society.
“They need our support. They need us to raise awareness for them. They need us to help raise funds,” the former host of Bachelor Happy Hour said. The American Cancer Society has faced significant cuts to its funding amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I think spreading awareness is the biggest thing. … I have this platform I’m talking to you right now when people are watching this. I have this platform to spread awareness and potentially save lives, help people. I just, I feel fortunate that I’m in a position to do that.”
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