Comedian Jeff Green has spoken about how his mother saved his life when she became concerned about a mole on his back. 

The British comedian is now based in Australia but recently returned to his hometown of Chester to peform a gig to mark his thirty years as a stand-up comedian. When he was staying with his mother, however, she became concerned about something she saw, as Green explained on Facebook.

"While cavorting around my mum's house shirtless, getting ready for my Town Hall gig, mum says - 'that mole on your back looks a bit big. Have you had it checked?' I hadn't. (I had made a couple of mole screening appointments a couple of year ago that I hadn't attended.) Mum photographed it (here) and then, when I arrived back in Oz sent me a text reminding me to 'have that mole looked at.' 

"Last week I went to my local mole checking clinic. They photographed all my moles and whipped off the one on my back immediately. The doctor told me to come back for the results (the Australian's are hot on this stuff, as you'd expect). I got the outcome this Tuesday. Bad news and good news. Bad news - the mole (you can see in the photo) was cancerous melanoma, which putting it bluntly is deadly if left to grow. The good news, my mum's diligence had meant it had been caught early (0.25mm depth - excellent prognosis). I'm now nursing a 3 inch scar on my back and will have to go for regular checks for the rest of my life."

Green is urging people to have regular checks. "I am not a sun worshipper. No childhood family holidays in Spain for me and I've spent most of my adult life in dark, sunless comedy clubs. I don't fit any 'at risk' profile. If I can develop melanoma most anyone can. And regular checks catching anything nasty as early as possible can be a real life saver."

He also wanted to thank his mother. "I never dreamed my gratitude to you could be any greater, but you actually, just this week saved my life!"