The WWE legend and actor revealed that earlier this year, he was diagnosed with skin cancer. He went in for a routine skin check, and during that visit, his dermatologist removed a suspicious spot from his right pectoral muscle.
Shortly after, Cena received a phone call from his doctor, asking him to come back for a follow-up. That moment would end up being a life-changing one.
About a year later, he found himself back at the dermatologist’s office once again for another issue.
The 48-year-old shared: “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.”
‘It right there prompted me to change my life’
In a recent interview highlighted by USA Today, Cena shared that the second spot doctors found also tested positive for cancer.
“I received the phone call twice, ‘Hey, you’ve got to come back, because the biopsy came back cancerous.'” he recalled. “That information is sobering, and it right there prompted me to change my life.”
Although Cena has now received treatment for both cancerous spots, he admitted that for a long time, he didn’t pay enough attention to protecting his skin especially when spending time outdoors. Looking back, he says he truly wishes he had learned earlier just how important sun protection is.
“SPF is more common in the vernacular of women, and that’s because it is directly correlated with beauty.” the actor noted.
Still, he pointed out something important: “Men especially are becoming more conscious of self-care. … I just think we need to make it more commonplace.”
‘My perspective on life has changed’
Cena is now focused on helping people think of sunscreen not just as a beauty product, but as part of a healthy lifestyle. He explained: “If someone uses SPF, because they don’t want to get wrinkles, it’s like someone going to the gym saying, ‘I want to be ripped.’ But being ‘ripped’ is essentially making healthier choices.”
“So you can go to the gym for aesthetic purposes, but the reward of training goes far more than just aesthetic beauty. I think SPF is in the same lane.”
He also mentioned how much easier it is to wear sunscreen every day compared to other complicated wellness routines. As he put it: “I’ve done some pretty aspirational things in the strength and health department, as far as nutritional choices and training regimens, and that’s really complicated, difficult stuff.”
Hoping to help others avoid what he went through, Cena shared: “My perspective on life has changed, but it took some real sobering news. I don’t want anybody to get there, so I’m just trying to use my platform to get ahead of that one.”
