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2nd April 2025
09:43am BST
John Cena has revealed that he was diagnosed with cancer.
The famous wrestler shared that he has been twice diagnosed with skin cancer as he promoted the use of sun cream.
Outside of the ring, the 47-year-old revealed how he rarely wore sun cream while growing up.
Speaking to People, he said: “I grew up in a small town next to Newburyport and Salisbury Beach. Some of my earliest memories of summer are of small carnivals and people walking the beachside.
“My mom [Carol] raised five boys 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.”
Cena continued to neglect sun protection into his twenties when he moved to Florida.
Cena added: “It wasn’t until I went to a dermatologist and got a skin checkup and had a cancerous spot removed from my right pec. 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.
“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.”
The wrestler revealed that a year later he had a second spot removed from his right shoulder.
He explained that the scar can be spotted on his shoulder when watching him in WWE on TV.
“It shows up like a white polka dot on the side of my chest and on my shoulder,” he said.
Sharing his advice on maintaining good skincare, Cena added: “If you're out there and you brush your teeth, at a young age you learned that going to the dentist when your teeth are in bad shape is bad because it's painful.
“The same thing will happen if you don't take care of your skin, and it's actually easier than brushing your teeth. Because it's not something you should exercise to just make you look more beautiful. It's something you should exercise to allow you to be who you are for a longer period of time.”
Cena is raising awareness for the issue by teaming up with Neutrogena to promote their latest skin care products.
Inside the ring, the famous wrestler is enjoying his final year as a wrestler, and could win his 17th world championship in the process.
More information on skin cancer can be found on the NHS website here.
