A tanning addict who found an “insect bite” on his back was left horrified after getting a crushing cancer diagnosis – but four years later, he’s now beaten the cancer.
And sworn off sunbeds for life.
Jak Howell hit the headlines a few years ago, after revealing his health battle at just 21 years old.
Following years of using sunbeds several times a week – getting his first tan at just 16 – he was heartbroken to find out he had stage three advanced melanoma.
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The only sign had been a tiny spot that soon began to itch and bleed.
In 2024, – Jak, from Swansea, Wales, has publicly announced that he is cancer-free – with a video on TikTok of his story getting over 4.5m views.
“I felt a spot on my back, which was sore to touch and seemed to be raised,” Jak told Need To Know.
“It got super itchy and uncomfortable.
“I thought it was an insect bite but then it started to bleed, and I noticed I was really fatigued and feeling quite down.
“I asked my mum to take a look at the area and her face told me immediately [that the news was bad].
“My GP sent me straight to the hospital where they did a small biopsy and 10 days later they rang to tell me I had cancer.”
Jak, who works in social media, had surgery to remove the spot.
But following the operation, scans revealed the cancer had grown larger than doctors had anticipated – it had spread to his groin.
He asked the team at the hospital if they felt using sunbeds had potentially contributed to his diagnosis.
Prior to his health issues, he had been using them three to four times a week for 15-18 minutes during each session.
They reportedly told him that the severity of his cancer and the fact it had spread was not normal for someone’s of his age.
Jak said: “I don’t know if I’ll ever get a solid answer on what caused my cancer, but I believe sunbeds played a massive part in it.
“From someone who was young and naive, I now have to live the rest of my life in a damaged body.
“I didn’t believe cancer would happen to me, but it did.”
Jak underwent two major surgeries to have as much as possible removed.
He also had radiotherapy, which was unsuccessful, so then began immunotherapy treatment for a year.
Jak said: “My feelings stayed pretty natural the entire way through.
“The moment I heard the word cancer my body went into survival mode.
“I knew from that moment it was fight or flight.”
After the initial treatments failed, Jak was told immunotherapy was his only option and if that didn’t work, he would have around 12 months to live.
The feeling he got hearing that news is something he struggles to describe.
One of the hardest parts of this journey was dealing with the trauma and damage of the treatment.
He said: “That’s when the real fear kicked in and overall shock.
“It’s not a feeling I’ll ever be able to describe, it was just devastating.
“After treatment has been the hardest part – dealing with the trauma and the damage it has done to my body eats away at me every day.”
Jak received treatment at the Singleton and Morrison hospitals in Swansea.
Thankfully, despite the bleak prognosis throughout his journey, last December he received the news he’d been hoping for.
He had beaten the cancer – describing this as the “best day of his life”.
Jak said: “I was really fortunate to have had incredible support from both my friends and family.
“I don’t think I would be here today without them.
“In talking to them about it and how I am lucky to survive, all of them have opened up about how hard it was for them to see – we all collectively suffered.
“Thankfully, I am stable, off all treatment and just have my routine checks.
“It was Christmas last year when I had the all clear.
“This was and forever will be the best day of my life.
“It’s my biggest achievement yet, beating cancer.”
According to Cancer Research UK, too much UV radiation is the third biggest cause of cancer and the main cause of skin cancer in the UK.
Jak urges young people to think twice before doing anything that could harm their health and now uses alternative tanning methods, such as fake-tan lotions.
He added: “That’s the thing about cancer, it doesn’t care.
“Embrace your natural self and own it. Don’t hurt yourself to fit in.”
