Katherine Ryan has revealed she was left stunned after receiving a £6,000 bill for a blood test she received in the wake of her skin cancer treatment.
The comedian, 41, previously shared news with her fans of her diagnosis of early-stage melanoma, a type of skin cancer, for the second time.
‘Here’s a photo of the melanoma (which tbf really does not look like melanoma) in the office before they took it off,’ she wrote on top of a photo posted to her Instagram story.
She had the cancerous mole and surrounding tissue removed last week, and gave fans an update today.
The mother-of-three said: ‘I have been just handling all the follow-up for the melanoma.
‘Waiting for the histology was really peaceful because I knew after the second removal, everything from that area would be gone. And it was confirmed as gone.’
Despite the news that she was officially cancer free, the oncologist offered Ryan an in vitro genetics test to help detect the likelihood of future reoccurences.
Sharing details of the blood test on the latest episode of her podcast, Telling Everybody Everything, she said: ‘This company was so amazing and really attentive right away.
‘I got an email right after my meeting with the oncologist from the patient coordinator who was like, we are going to do this DNA test, we just have to take some of your blood and we’re gonna send someone to your house to get it. I was like, perfect!
‘The guy shows up – an absolute hunk. A very well-dressed, young, Selling Sunset type,’ she said.
‘It was a great experience. The phlebotomist took my blood quickly and everyone looked after me very well.’
But it wasn’t until after the appointment that she found out how much it cost. She told her listeners: ‘They leave, and then seconds later into my inbox, I get the bill. Six grand!
‘Six thousand pounds for the blood test. I thought, oh god, I knew that Selling Sunset hunk was too premium.’
‘I showed Bobby and that was my biggest mistake. He was like, “What?! A blood test!?” And I was like, you know what though Bobby, if it saves your life, then that’s very little.
‘I just think you can’t be too careful with this stuff. I’m very lucky to have access to this kind of thing.’
She went on to share she’s still waiting for the results from the very expensive test.
‘My understanding is it can test tumours and it can test your blood and it can test your DNA for exactly what type of cancer you may have, or what type of cancer gene,’ she said.
What is Melanoma?
As Katherine shared, melanoma is a form of skin cancer which is known to be particularly aggressive.
It grows from the melanocytes, the cells which form melanin and give skin its pigment.
Melanoma is known to grow quickly and can spread to other organs. Early detection — which Katherine has — is crucial in fighting it.
While it is the most deadly skin cancer, survival rates have been improving and around 87% of patients live for over 10 years after diagnosis.
Melanoma symptoms
- A new mole, or change in an existing one, may be a sign of melanoma
- Moles are usually round, with straight edges. Ones with an uneven shape or edge could be a symptom.
- Moles with a mix of colours in them
- Melanomas tend to be larger than normal moles
Other signs include moles that are sore, swollen, bleeding, itchy, or crusty.
‘Like, I may have a melanoma gene. I don’t know what they can do with that information – I think there are some medications to turn that gene off – but they do in vitro testing on your specific DNA.
‘So they take your DNA and put it in glass and they use a variety of treatments on the specific genome that you have, and it will show what works best for you.
‘Just to be clear, I don’t need any other treatments at the minute. We’re just doing investigative preventative stuff. It’s a little trial and error before they land on the thing that works for you or for that specific type of cancer that you’re dealing with.’
Despite the hefty pricetag, the beloved TV personality encouraged her fans to seek one out if they’re recovering from cancer, saying: ‘If you are undergoing any type of cancer investigations or treatments and you are doing that through the NHS, I think ask your NHS doctor if they do in vitro genetic testing to see what type of treatment is right for you.’
On a previous episode of Telling Everybody Everything, Katherine explained how she visited the doctors over the mole but was originally told not to worry.
‘I know you should never google things but I’m actually really worried,’ she confessed. ‘Normally I’m that positive person.
‘I think it’s really easy to take a diagnosis of “you’re healthy” and “walk away”.
She continued: ‘But the mole kept changing, I know a lot about melanoma, I had melanoma as a very young woman – aged 21 – on my leg, I’ve spoken about that before.
‘It was flat, it wasn’t that big but it was melanoma. It is a deadly form of skin cancer and it does spread quickly.’
Luckily, Katherine followed her gut and insisted the doctor remove the mole.
Having looked at the mole again, insisting it’s not melanoma, the doctor sent a shave away for testing.
The TV comedian added at the time: ‘He rang me today and it did come back as melanoma. Early melanoma. The doctor was shocked and told me I need to go back.
‘It just feels crazy to me, what could have happened, if I hadn’t been my own advocate – and I will continue to be my own advocate.’
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