Khloé Kardashian Has Face Tumor Removed Amid Health Scare—'I Was Lucky'

Over the past few weeks, eagle-eyed followers of Khloé Kardashian may have spotted her out in public sporting a bandage on the side of her face.

Kardashian has addressed speculation and questions regarding this on her Instagram stories, revealing she had to undergo a procedure to have a tumor removed from her face.

Kardashian also said she wanted to speak out about her health scare in the hope of raising awareness for people to check their bodies.

Sharing an image of a bump on her face before it was removed, Kardashian wrote: "I have seen numerous stories going around about the ever-evolving bandage on my face with some of you wondering why I've been wearing one for the past few weeks.

"After noticing a small bump on my face and assuming it was something as minor as a zit. I decided to get it biopsied 7 months after realizing it was not budging."

Kardashian, 38, visited two dermatologists who deemed the bump "incredibly rare" for someone her age.

She told her 276 million followers in another post: "A few days later I was told I need to have an immediate operation to remove a tumor from my face," and visited Dr. Garth Fisher, a "dear friend" of the Kardashian-Jenner family.

"I'm grateful to share that Dr. Fisher was able to get everything—all my margins appear clear and now we are onto the healing process," she wrote.

She joked for the next few weeks she would be rocking her bandages in "fabulous style" and also shared she will most likely have a scar as a result of the procedure.

"So here we are… you'll probably see a scar (and an indentation in my cheek from the tumor being removed) but until then I hope you enjoy how fabulous I'm making these face bandages look," she wrote.

Kardashian also shared this was her second skin cancer scare. "At 19 years old, I had melanoma on my back, and I had a surgery to remove that as well, so I am pre-composed to melanomas," she said.

"Even those who are not, we should be checking all the time. I am someone who wears sunscreen every single day, religiously so no one is exempt from these things. Please take this seriously and do your regular self-exams as well as your annual check-ups."

To round off her post, Kardashian expressed gratitude for her good health.

"I'm so grateful we caught this early," Kardashian wrote. "I was lucky and all I have is a scar to tell the story. Most people aren't as lucky as me and I'm forever thankful."

Kardashian went on to praise the work of her make-up artist Ash Holm, who has been helping cover up the bandages.

Kardashian's mother, Kris Jenner, also shared the news on her Instagram main feed. She commented on and reposted a message from Fisher, who penned on his own Instagram alongside images of Kardashian: "I was so saddened that you required a procedure requiring removing of a dangerous and significant tumor from your face. I felt like I was operating on my own daughter.

"I was honored that you put your trust in my staff and me. I am tremendously relieved that we got it all out and you can now get past this. You're beautiful and have a heart of gold. Now let's get this scar to heal great and be mindful of too much sun exposure."

"I am so thankful to @garthfishermd and PRAISE GOD for the amazing results, and that my Khloé is going to be OK!! It was quite the scare and I am so humbled and thankful to everyone who was part of this team," Jenner wrote.

Dr. Ross Perry, a skin cancer expert at Cosmedics Skin Clinics, told Newsweek the most common sign of skin cancer is a change in your skin.

"Frequently check your skin for signs of irregularities which could be the signs of early skin cancer," he said. "Things to look out for are a mole or growth which is new or an existing one that has changed in size, shape, feel or color. Also any sign of itching, tenderness, crusting or bleeding. See your [doctor] straight away to get it checked out."

Perry said the warning signs to remember for melanoma are:

• A is for Asymmetry: A normal, healthy mole is usually round because it grows evenly. This means it is symmetrical, with one side a mirror image of the other. Moles to be concerned about will look asymmetrical and have grown at an uneven rate.
• B is for Borders: Melanomas often have ragged or blurred borders or edges. Normal, healthy moles tend to be much rounder, with smooth, clearly defined borders.
• C is for color: A normal mole usually has one uniform color, whereas melanomas are often uneven in color.
• D is for diameter: Melanomas are usually larger than 6mm or 1/4 inch (approximately the width of a pencil). But this is not a sure sign of malignant melanoma. A cancerous mole can be smaller than this, and a perfectly healthy mole can be larger.
• E is for elevation or enlargement: Melanoma will often change in size, shape and color over time, and may become raised above the skin's surface.

"Unfortunately, the facts are that everyone is at risk of skin cancer and this risk increases with age," Perry continued. "Skin cancer is serious and should not be taken lightly. Factors such as tanning, using sun beds [and] having moles increase one's risk."

However, by not doing the above or having them does not decrease the natural inherent risk we all have," he said. "Sun exposure is a known factor for increasing the risk of skin cancer... I advise everyone to wear SPF year-round, as even on cloudy and cooler days those harmful UV rays can still penetrate the skin and cause damage."

Perry said you should contact your doctor if you notice any changes like these in your skin.

Newsweek has reached out to Kardashian for comment.