HEALTHKhloé Kardashian Reveals Why She Hid Her Melanoma Diagnosis From Her Family: 'I Didn't Want to Worry Anyone'
Khloé Kardashian revealed she was first diagnosed with melanoma at 19.
July 31 2025, Published 7:42 a.m. ET
Khloé Kardashian is shedding light on a difficult chapter from her life — her melanoma diagnosis at age 19.
The reality star, now 41, revealed during the July 30 episode of her "Khloé in Wonder Land" podcast on X that she kept her diagnosis a secret from her family.
Khloé Kardashian called the July 30 episode of 'Khloé in Wonder Land' her 'most personal' yet.
"My first bout of skin cancer, I was 19 years old. When you're 19, you don't really think about how scary things can be, so I don't remember a lot," she said. "I know my dad [Robert Kardashian] died when I was 19 of esophageal cancer and then months later I found out I had skin cancer on my back. I literally didn't even tell my family because I knew I just had to get this removed and I'll be fine."
Robert passed away in September 2003, just two months after his cancer diagnosis. He was 59 years old and left behind his children Khloé, Rob, Kourtney and Kim with ex-wife Kris Jenner.
Khloé Kardashian kept her battle private to avoid adding stress to her grieving family.
Khloé decided to keep her health struggles private because she "didn't want to worry anyone," especially during such a challenging time for the family.
"I knew I was fine. Cancer is a really scary word. I was also 19 and you're nuts at 19 years old," she said. "I literally drove myself to the doctor, got all this skin removed and that was it. [I] didn't think much about it."
Fast-forward nearly two decades, Khloé noticed a "bump" on her face that she initially thought was "cystic acne."
Her father, Robert Kardashian, died of esophageal cancer the same year.
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"I was convinced it was that cystic pimple. It would not go away. I was trying to pick it, all these things. I think I messed around with it for over a year. I got facials. I would ask this person, that person, no one thought it was weird, it was my same skin color," she recalled. "I do have a lot of beauty marks all over me, but they're brown. So I was like, 'Gosh, maybe this is a skin color mole.' I didn't know what it was."
One aesthetician suggested she get a biopsy. After doing so, Khloé received the shocking news that it was melanoma.
Nearly 20 years later, Khloé Kardashian faced another melanoma scare on her face.
"So we cut it out and within days they found out it was melanoma. I sent it to my other dermatologist; they analyzed it," she confirmed. "Because it's on my face … where my cheek line is, they have to remove the tumor that's there. You also have to take enough skin, like healthy skin, around it to make sure the cells didn't spread."
For the procedure, Khloé turned to a "family friend" who works as a plastic surgeon.
A successful procedure removed the tumor, leaving Khloé Kardashian cancer-free.
"He removed the tumor, and the scary part is you don't know how much they need to remove until they start cutting into you. They think they're getting all the borders, but then they have to test it," she reflected. "We did it. Everything was perfect. He got all they needed the first time. So now I don't have skin cancer."
