(Reuters) – Australian actor Hugh Jackman said on Thursday that he had a skin cancer scare when doctors diagnosed a mark on his nose as cancerous cells.
Jackman, 45, posted a photo of his face and a bandage on his nose on his Instagram page, saying his wife, Deborra-Lee Furness, told him to get his nose checked, and he was diagnosed with basal cell carcinoma, cancerous cells that grow on the surface of the skin.
Please don’t be foolish like me. Get yourself checked. And USE sunscreen!!! the Les Miserables actor said in the Instagram caption.
Representatives for Jackman had no updates on the actor’s condition beyond his Instagram post.
The online medical site WebMD.com said basal cell carcinoma is the most common form of skin cancer and accounts for more than 90 percent of U.S. skin cancer patients. The basal cell carcinomas rarely spread but if not removed can damage and disfigure surrounding tissue.
Jackman is one of Hollywood’s leading action stars, best known as superhero Wolverine in the “X-Men” films. He was nominated for a best actor Oscar this year for his role as prisoner-turned-businessman Jean Valjean in the film adaptation of “Les Miserables.” He also starred alongside Jake Gyllenhaal in this fall’s gritty drama “Prisoners.”
(Reporting by Piya Sinha-Roy; Editing by Bill Trott)