Twitch streamer 'Ninja' is now cancer free
Gamers 'Ninja' (L) and 'Marshmello' compete in the Epic Games Fortnite E3 Tournament at the Banc of California Stadium on June 12, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES - Renowned professional gamer and popular Twitch streamer, Tyler Blevins, known by his online alias Ninja, revealed on Thursday that he has been declared cancer-free.
This announcement comes in the wake of his diagnosis with melanoma just last week.
Blevins took to social media to share the uplifting update, expressing gratitude for his overwhelming support from fans and loved ones.
"Just got the news from my dermatologist," Blevins wrote. "Great news."
Last week, Blevins announced he had a mole that had been spotted on his foot and came back as cancerous.
A small, innocuous mole nestled inconspicuously on the sole of Blevins' foot set off alarm bells among medical professionals, prompting its immediate removal "just to be careful" and test results came back as positive for melanoma.
READ MORE: ‘Ninja’ diagnosed with skin cancer: ‘Still in a bit of shock’
Physicians were optimistic they detected the cancer in its early stages. Nonetheless, after another dark spot emerged near the site of the previous mole removal, Blevins awaited biopsy results with anxiety.
Blevins is a prominent figure in the gaming realm, commanding an impressive audience of 19 million followers on Twitch, solidifying his position as one of the platform's most influential personalities.
His journey to fame began with "Halo 3," where he gained recognition as a competitive gamer. However, it was his meteoric rise alongside the phenomenon of "Fortnite" in 2017 that propelled him to global celebrity status, further cementing his reputation through regular appearances on Twitch.
What is melanoma?
Melanoma is a type of skin cancer and while it only accounts for about 1% of skin cancers, it causes a large majority of skin cancer deaths, according to the American Cancer Society.
Even though it is not as common, melanoma is particularly insidious because if it’s not caught early, it can spread to other parts of the body.
There are several different types of melanoma cancers which include superficial spreading melanoma, nodular melanoma, lentigo maligna melanoma and acral lentiginous melanoma, also known as acral melanoma.
Superficial spreading melanoma makes up about 7 in 10 melanoma cases, according to ACS.
Catherine Stoddard contributed to this story.