John Lennon's son Julian reveals shock cancer diagnosis as he undergoes emergency surgery

19 December 2024, 17:27 | Updated: 19 December 2024, 19:55

The son of Beatles legend John Lennon has reminded people to get checked after undergoing an operation to remove a melanoma.

Liverpool-born musician Julian Lennon, 61, the son of John and his first wife Cynthia, said he was told to have an operation to remove the skin cancer after visiting his dermatologist.

In a post to X, formerly Twitter, Lennon said he had gone to see his dermatologist, who had operated on his skin cancer a few years ago, before flying to New York.

"I received a message from Dr Tess (his dermatologist), with some urgency to return to Los Angeles, as I had two locations on my skin, shoulder & forearm, one of which was melanoma, that should be operated on ASAP!", he said.

"So instead of going home to put my Christmas tree up and happily finish the year off, relaxing at home, I flew directly back to Los Angeles, after all my work in New York was done, and went directly from LAX airport, to surgery, with a surgeon recommended by Dr Tess.

"@timneavin - who spent several hours cleaning up and operating on me, with large margins, in the hope that we have, at the end of the day - clear margins, which would mean being free from cancer...

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"The operation was a success, but we have yet to have the results of the biopsy, which we may not receive before Christmas...

"First of all, I'm very thankful to Dr Tess and Dr Tim, for being able to co-ordinate this surgery at such short notice, but for once again, hopefully saving my life...

"One can never be too confident in circumstances like this, but we all believe that Dr Tim has saved the day... So finger's crossed for now."

He also said that good news "would be the best Christmas present ever" and added: "I just want to say, this is also a timely reminder to all, to please get yourself checked out by your doctor...

"It only takes a short while to do so, and you may just be saving your own life, at the end of the day... so please, for the sake of yourself, your family and friends just go to your Dr and do what must be done...

"I love life and I want to live for a very long time and this is one way, and a choice, that could determine your future". Signing off his message he wished his followers a happy holiday "and a healthy long life".

Melanoma is a type of skin cancer that can spread to other areas of the body if not treated.

It is usually treated with surgery but radiotherapy and chemotherapy may also sometimes be used, according to the NHS website.

Lennon's mother died following a battle with cancer in 2015, while his father John, who continues to have an enduring influence on popular culture, died aged 40 in 1980 after being shot in New York.

The Beatles song Hey Jude was written by Sir Paul McCartney to comfort the five-year-old Lennon when his parents John and Cynthia were separating.

Lennon released his seventh studio album in 2022, titled Jude as a nod to his father's band.