Speaking out about his own personal health, WWE’s John Cena revealed that he has been diagnosed with skin cancer twice.
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The wrestling icon discussed the diagnosis while promoting Neutrogena’s Sun Care Campaign.
“I grew up in a small town next to Newburyport and Salisbury Beach,” the Massachusetts native explained. “The Massholes call it the North Shore. Some of my earliest memories of summer are of small carnivals and people walking the beachside.”
John Cena further admitted that he remembered not wearing sunscreen. “Never,” he replied while answering if he wore sun protection. “My mom [Carol] raised five people and I’m pretty sure she just wanted to just keep us alive and healthy. She had her hands full for sure, so I certainly do not blame her. And me being born in ’77, this was kind of all new knowledge.”
Continuing to reflect on his early years, Cena shared that when he moved from New England to Florida in his early twenties, he “fell in love with the sun.” However, he continued to neglect his skin.
“I was stubborn. I didn’t want to have a routine, and I also thought the problem would never reach me. And it’s one of those things where I had a ton of exposure with minimal protection, and it caught up with me.”
John Cena Discovers Cancerous Spot During Dermatologist Appointment
John Cena then revealed that his actions had some consequences when his dermatologist discovered a cancerous spot.
“It wasn’t until I went to a dermatologist and got a skin checkup,” he said. “And had a cancerous spot removed from my right pec.”
After removing the spot, his doctor called and said, “You got to come back in.”
“I was very lucky to have a great dermatologist,” Cena continued. “Who kind of, I guess for lack of a better term, held me by the hand and let me know that I wasn’t alone. The stats on this are overwhelming, but as much as I learn about them, those numbers don’t mean anything.”
He also shared, “I think the best way to hammer home a point is human-to-human connection. And I, as a human, can tell you: Man, that phone call’s not what you want to get because it is unpredictable and you don’t know how bad it’s going to be.”
John Cena further shared that he returned to the doctor a year later and had another spot removed. This time, it looked like a white polka dot on the side of his chest and shoulder. He said sun care is now a top priority for him.
“I’m at a great space in my life where that’s now important to me,” he added. “And I’m so grateful to be able to dodge those two bullets, but I wear them as a reminder of, ‘Hey man, you need to take the extra few seconds to protect yourself every day.”