An actor who used to go to tanning salons in his youth finds his career constantly compromised by cancerous lumps he has to have removed from his face every year due to overexposure to UV rays.

“When I was young, I said to myself that a blond with blue eyes, tanned, it hurt. But today, I pay the price. […] It’s hell, ”laments Dany Tremblay, who confided in the Journal to make the population aware of the dangers of ultraviolet (UV) rays.

For 15 years, the 55-year-old Quebec actor, who we have seen in particular in STAT, Squad 99 and The young wolves, has seen painless masses appear on his body, especially on his face.

Every three months, he sees a dermatologist to check on the progress of these bumps, which he has to have removed a few times a year. Since February, he has also been taking chemotherapy due to the rapid development of the disease.

“Once they had to burn 16 liquid nitrogen masses in my face at the same time. I felt like I was on fire, I almost lost consciousness, ”says the man.

Tanning abuse

These masses called carcinomas are types of skin cancer that, if not treated quickly, can spread and destroy skin, tissue and bone (see box).

Most of the time, they occur when a person’s DNA is damaged due to exposure to UV rays from the sun or artificial tanning.

This is precisely what happened in the case of Mr. Tremblay, who admits to having abused tanning salons for more than 25 years in his youth.

“I was going there six days a week, not to mention the excessive sun exposure. It is certain that I regret it, ”he confides, adding that he has had more than a hundred masses removed for 15 years.

lost roles

If his life is not threatened, as he is monitored regularly, he will never be able to recover from it. A situation that is detrimental to his career, according to the actor who notably had to have a skin graft to repair his nose recently.

“As I work with my face, I lost several roles because of it. Makeup can’t always hide scars from surgery or redness from chemotherapy,” he explains.

“I just hope that my story will prevent other people from finding themselves in the same situation as me,” he continues.

Common skin cancers

Basal cell carcinoma

• Accounts for 75-80% of all skin cancer cases
• Originates in the basal (round) cells of the outer layer of the skin
• Appears most often on the head, face and neck
• Grows slowly
• Can grow wide and deep into the skin and destroy skin, tissue and bone if left untreated.

Squamous cell carcinoma

• Accounts for 20% of all skin cancer cases
• Originates in the squamous (flat) cells on the outer part of the skin
• Can grow into deeper layers of the skin and spread, eventually becoming fatal, if left untreated

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Both types of carcinoma occur in 90% of cases when a person’s DNA is damaged as a result of exposure to UV rays from the sun or artificial tanning.

Source: Canadian Cancer Society and Skin Cancer Foundation