Joey Graceffa, a YouTuber known for his vlogs and lifestyle videos, shared that he was diagnosed with Basal cell carcinoma.
In a TikTok video posted to his account on Thursday, Graeffa said he has had a red mark on his nose for almost two years. Recently, Graeffa said he noticed the mark had scabbed over and a doctor conducted a skin biopsy and determined it was cancer.
“I’m currently now exploring my options of how to take care of it,” Graceffa said in the video, which he captioned “life update.”
The creator, who has over 9.3 million subscribers to his YouTube channel, said that his doctor suggested he undergo Mohs surgery, which involves cutting thin layers of affected skin in an effort to remove the cancer. Graceffa said he is also considering natural treatments and radiation.
“I’m not freaking out like maybe I should be,” Graceffa said. “I don’t know. I’m being very level-headed about this, I think because it’s a more treatable type of skin cancer.”
The American Cancer Society describes Basal cell carcinoma as the “most common type of skin cancer.” The cancer, which begins in basal cells and is found in the outer later of the skin, “usually develop[s] on sun-exposed areas, especially the face, head, neck, and arms,” the ACS says on its website.
Graceffa said he is trying to stay positive, and asked for suggestions from any followers who have also have had this type of skin cancer before and had it treated.
“Just figured I would document this process,” he said. “If anyone else is going through this I’m there with ya and maybe we can deal with this together.”
Many of his fans wrote comments on the video sending their support and wishing him a speedy recovery.
Several other prominent YouTubers have also publicly shared their journeys navigating their cancer diagnoses in the past year.
In May 2023, VidCon co-founder and vlogger Hank Green shared that he was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a type of cancer that attacks the lymphatic system. He announced that he was in “complete remission” in an X post three months later.
Comedic YouTuber Grace Helbig announced that she was diagnosed with breast cancer in July 2023. She shared that she completed treatment in an Instagram post in February.
