NEW YORK (1010 WINS) – Gov. Kathy Hochul said Thursday that skin cancer was found on her nose and that she will undergo a biopsy this week to remove it and confirm it's cancerous.
“My doctor discovered a basal cell carcinoma,” the governor told reporters in New York City. “A tiny, tiny speck on my nose, you can’t even see it.”
Basal cell carcinomas are among the most common and easily treated forms of cancer, especially when caught early. They’re usually slow-growing and don’t tend to metastasize like melanoma but are removed as a precaution and to avoid complications.
“I’m going to have a small removal procedure,” said Hochul, 66. “I’m not going under, it’s a local anesthesia. It will be occurring Friday morning. I’ll be back to work about an hour later. But there will be a bandage on my nose.”
Basal cell carcinoma is usually confined to the surface of skin — doctors almost always can remove it all with a shallow incision — and seldom causes serious complications or becomes life-threatening.
Hochul urged people to get regular medical checkups and use sunscreen.
"I want to make sure everybody’s smart about this," Hochul said. "Use your suntan lotion. Make sure your kids are protected."
Both President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden had basal cell carcinomas removed last year.