‘RHOC’ Star Tamra Judge Reveals Skin Cancer Diagnosis Less Than A Week Before 50th Birthday

Real Housewives of Orange County star Tamra Judge took to social media on Sunday to make the difficult announcement that she has skin cancer.

Judge, who celebrates her 50th birthday on September 2, made the announcement via Instagram Sunday night, sharing a selfie that showed what appears to be a small mole or a large freckle on the side of her buttocks. While there doesn’t seem to be anything outwardly unusual with the photo, Tamra explained that the mark in question is what led to her diagnosis of melanoma. And as it stands, there’s a good chance she might not be taking part in bodybuilding competitions later this year as originally planned.

“I was planning on competing again in November at 50-years-old, but I’m not sure that’s happening,” she lamented.

Tamra Judge’s skin cancer diagnosis, as she sees it, means that God has a “different plan” for her going forward. But with that in mind, the Real Housewives of Orange County star explained that she shared last night’s selfie because she wants people to be aware of how a melanoma mole looks, and to get their skin checked if they notice any unusual markings on their body.

“I don’t want sympathy, I want you to save YOUR a** and get your skin checked. This was just a small black flat freckle…. I had no idea!”

https://www.instagram.com/p/BYDxmIqFDUl/?taken-by=tamrajudge

As noted by E! Online, Tamra Judge was planning to celebrate her 50th birthday at Cabo San Lucas, but given her recent skin cancer diagnosis, she quipped that that might not be such a good idea after all. She did add, however, that even if she’s feeling a mix of emotions at the present, it was a good thing her melanoma was caught while still early.

According to the American Cancer Society’s fact sheet for melanoma, the disease can develop anywhere on the skin but is usually spotted on the chest or back in male patients and on the legs in female patients. While it isn’t as common as other forms of skin cancer, melanoma is considered “more dangerous” if it isn’t diagnosed early, as it has a greater likelihood of spreading to other body parts. Patients have several options for treatment depending on which stage the cancer is in, with early-stage melanomas typically treatable by surgery alone.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BX9oiIiFS6W/?taken-by=tamrajudge

Tamra Judge’s skin cancer battle is the latest challenge the RHOC mainstay is currently facing, according to a report from Us Weekly. While she and her present husband, Eddie Judge, were renewing their wedding vows earlier this month in Aruba, Tamra addressed her troubled relationship with teenage daughter Sidney Barney, who had recently levied some stinging accusations against her in a Facebook post. On August 7, Sidney alleged that Tamra tried to turn her against her father, Simon Barney, during their 2011 separation and had repeatedly tried to disparage him in front of their children.

[Featured Image by Jordin Althaus/Getty Images]