A nail-biter had her thumb amputated after developing a rare cancer

An Australian woman recently had her thumb amputated after developing a rare form of cancer linked to severe trauma. An Australian woman recently had her thumb amputated after developing a rare form of cancer linked to severe trauma. Photo: Pongsak Tawansaeng / EyeEm/Getty Images/EyeEm Photo: Pongsak Tawansaeng / EyeEm/Getty Images/EyeEm Image 1 of / 22 Caption Close A nail-biter had her thumb amputated after developing a rare cancer 1 / 22 Back to Gallery

Courtney Withorn began biting her nails as a teen, after facing torment from bullies at school. The habit became so severe at one point, that she nibbled off the thumbnail completely.

Earlier this year Withorn, a 20-year-old psychology student from Australia, noticed the skin under her nail turning black. In July, doctors diagnosed her a rare form of cancer, reported British news site, the Sun. They were forced to amputate her thumb after multiple surgeries.

"I can't even explain how self-conscious I was. I always had fake nails to hide it because it was so black," she said, describing how she kept her thumb hidden from her friends and family out of embarrassment.

She eventually saw a doctor "for cosmetic reasons," who referred her to a plastic surgeon. They planned to remove the nail bed and cover it with a skin graft.

"But before my first surgery to remove the nail bed," Withorn told the Sun, "the doctors could tell something was wrong and decided to do a biopsy."

They discovered Withorn had acral lentiginous subungual melanoma, a form of cancer that generally affects nail beds, the soles of feet and the palms of hands. Some studies link the cause of the cancer to trauma, like a cut or injury, and not solely sun exposure, like many skin cancers.

Withorn told the Sun she believes biting off her nail led to the cancer.

Doctors attempted to remove the malignant cells over three surgeries, but were forced to amputate for fear the cancer would spread.

She remains in recovery from surgery and has yet to hear if the cancer traveled to two lymph nodes doctors excised for testing.

"If it's clear then the surgeon watches me for the next five years and I get regular scans and bloods," she said.

She's been forced to defer her university studies, but plans to resume her classes upon recovering.