American wrestler-actor John Cena has revealed that he previously battled skin cancer, shedding light on the experience and the importance of sun protection. He shared details of his diagnosis and treatment in an interview with People magazine, reflecting on how his past habits contributed to the health scare.
The Massachusetts native recalled his childhood growing up years. “I grew up in a small town next to Newburyport and Salisbury Beach. The Massholes call it the North Shore,” he said. He described fond memories of summers spent at beachside carnivals but admitted that wearing sunscreen was never part of his routine. “Never,” he stated. He acknowledged that his mother, who was raising five boys, had her hands full and simply prioritised keeping them 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.”
As he entered his twenties, John relocated from New England to Florida, where he developed a deep appreciation for the sunny climate but failed to take proper precautions. “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,” he admitted.
That lack of care eventually led to a serious wake-up call. “It wasn’t until I went to a dermatologist and got a skin checkup and had a cancerous spot removed from my right pec,” he revealed. The initial procedure wasn’t the end of it, though. John recalled the unsettling moment when his doctor called him back for further evaluation. “You got to come back in.”
The former WWE champion credited his dermatologist for guiding him through the difficult process. “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 said. He acknowledged that skin cancer statistics are daunting, but personal experiences make the risk feel much more real. “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 after the first scare, he underwent another procedure to remove a second spot near his 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.”
Despite his generally positive outlook, John admitted that facing serious health concerns led him to imagine worst-case scenarios. “When faced with some uncomfortable stuff, my mind always goes to the worst-case scenario,” he shared. However, with support from his dermatologist and a renewed commitment to self-care, he adopted a new mindset. “How can we be better today than we were yesterday?”
Now, the Peacemaker actor granter prioritises sun protection and encourages others to do the same. “I’m at a great space in my life where that’s now important to me. 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,’” he said.
