John Cena has had plenty of battles inside the ring and is about to go through one more in pursuit of a record-breaking 17th WWE championship at WrestleMania 41 next week.
Cena opened up recently about one of the toughest battles he has faced in recent memory – a bout with skin cancer.
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He revealed in an interview with People late last month that a checkup with the dermatologist led to the removal of a cancerous spot near his right pectoral muscle. He recalled to the magazine about “never” having to wear sunscreen while growing up in Massachusetts, but moving to Florida was different for him.
He said he “neglected” his skin and never thought about wearing sunscreen.
“I was stubborn,” he told People. “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.
“It wasn’t until I went to a dermatologist and got a skin checkup and had a cancerous spot removed from my right pec.”
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He said he felt lucky to have an outstanding dermatologist who caught it and took care of it.
“I was very lucky to have a great dermatologist 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,” he added. “The stats on this are overwhelming, but as much as I learn about them, those numbers don’t mean anything. 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.
“A year later I went back and had another spot removed close to my right shoulder. It shows up like a white polka dot on the side of my chest and on my shoulder. If you watch WWE, you’ll be able to see them.”
Cena has since partnered with Neutrogena to promote sunscreen advocacy.
The 47-year-old WWE star is set to take on Cody Rhodes in Las Vegas at Allegiant Stadium.
He won the men’s Elimination Chamber match to get the opportunity to go up against Rhodes, but he has been a thorn in Rhodes’ side since then. He shocked the world by turning on the “American Nightmare” and has since feuded with fans over the decision.
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