Captain Jason Chambers Diagnosed with Melanoma: "It's a Big Thing"
Below Deck Down Under's Jason Chambers just opened up about his recent health diagnosis.
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Captain Jason Chambers is opening up about his recent melanoma diagnosis.
On December 16, the Below Deck Down Under captain took to his Instagram feed to reveal that a recent biopsy on a sunspot has turned out to be melanoma, which is a form of cancer.
"For someone that spent their life in the sun, as a child playing sport to working on the ocean, I thought I was resistant to the damaging effects of the sun," he began in the caption of his post. "I love the sun and its health benefits are evident, but be wise and like everything in life, it’s all about balance, choose your battles."
Jason, who shares a daughter named Saskia with his ex, continued, "With a diagnosed melanoma biopsy, I now have an anxious wait." He also noted that "what [he] thought was a skin spot turned in just [six] months."
"Early detection is the key," he added, before advising his followers to "find a chemical-free sunscreen product, get some shade with a hat, and enjoy the sun with protection."
In his Instagram video, Jason also shared that he had his initial biopsy done in Bali. He said that he was waiting for "the specimen to come from Bali" to Australia, but that there might be some delays because of the holiday.
"Look, [in] Australia, two out of three people suffer from melanoma. It’s a big thing,” he said in his Instagram video post. "I never used to wear sunscreen when I was on the boat. I used to put zinc on my nose, the reason being the chemicals. But there’s so many products out there that are chemical-free now, which is great."
Jason didn't share further details about the next steps in his health journey, but he concluded his video with another request for his followers to protect themselves from the sun with sunscreen, hats, and clothing.
What is melanoma?
According to MayoClinic.org, melanoma is "a kind of skin cancer that starts in the melanocytes," and it "typically starts on skin that's often exposed to the sun."
While the "exact cause of all melanomas isn't clear," most melanomas "are caused by exposure to ultraviolet light [UV light]," which "comes from sunlight or tanning lamps and beds."
Is Captain Jason returning for Below Deck Down Under Season 3?
Yes. In November 2024, it was confirmed that Jason and Tzarina Mace-Ralph would be returning for Below Deck Down Under Season 3.
Stream Below Deck Down Under on Peacock now.
