Sam’s Warning: Fair Skinned Famous Weatherman Sam Champion, 63, Has Surgery For Skin Cancer– Tells People to Watch Out For Sun Damage

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Writing alongside a video of himself, revealing a bandage under his eye and shared on Instagram, Champion said, “First pass of the knife with Mohs surgery today! Now we wait for results.”

In the video clip, Champion is seen after the first round of surgery, noting how his eye was a little blurry and he was experiencing some numbness. He explained, “So this is first pass and they are going to examine the tissue. I’ve got a great explanation of what it is and what they’re doing.”

Champion said that if all was clear, the area would be stitched up, but if it wasn’t the doctors would have to do another procedure.

He then captioned his followup post, sharing more footage of him explaining the procedure, “2nd pass. A little longer and deeper necessary.. not gonna lie.. I’m disappointed.. but we are going to get it all out.”

Champion further explains, “They went in and they renumbed everything … then they went in and they cut more out. So they are taking the tissue that they cut out and then they are going to look at it to see if we got it all this time.

“The way it was explained to me was this specific type of skin cancer … so they explained these are shaped like an iceberg … they look small but they can spread under the skin or under that top skin, into the second layer. And there can be some lumps, tentacles, and in this case there was. So they had to go back into that spot and go get it a little deeper and a little further.”

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After he admitted to having this procedure in the past done four rounds in different spots, he admitted that he didn’t “want all that” work to be done in this spot under his eye.

“There’s a little ego, there’s a little vanity done in this. Yes I want it gone, but I didn’t want a big gaping hole,” he continued, noting “there’s no pain involved” in this procedure.

Thankfully, about 12 hours later, Champion shared a celebratory post that all the cancer had been removed.

He captioned the post, featured a photo of his stitched up face, “Long day. And we got it all! Now we begin the healing phase! Thank you all for sharing your stories and your kind-thoughts and prayers!

“Watch your skin and ask your doctor to examine anything that doesn’t seem right to YOU!”

Champion later took to his Instagram stories to reveal he often goes to his routine checkups but what brought him to the dermatologist was a mark on his skin he had been paying attention to and looking for changes.

Recounting the procedure, Champion said, “Always keep an eye on your own skin … I started to swell a little bit after the surgery but it’s not as swollen today. Mentally, yesterday was a rough day.

“I gotta say, I just felt a little overwhelmed on the second pass, but I think that’s natural and normal.”

He concluded, “The damage is the damage, the scar will be the scar … Sun exposure, I’ll be very careful with now.

“I don’t think legitimate sunbathing where you lay in the sun like a lizard, I don’t think that’s been a part of my recent past and it won’t be a part of my close-to future, either.”

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Sam Champion’s Skin Cancer Journey

Sam Champion received his first skin cancer diagnosis in his mid-20s. Ever since, he’s had multiple surgeries to remove suspicious moles. In a 2015 interview with Best Self Atlanta Magazine, the anchor explained why he’s often having the procedures.

“The problem is that there is no way to treat it other than to cut it out,” Champion said. “But I’m on television every day, and that means that other people are aware of what’s going on. When I have scars and loop stitches, people notice.”

Choose the Right Sunscreen and Use It Often

That’s why he ultimately chose to come forward and tell people about his skin cancer history. Much to his surprise, Champion had people from all over engaged and talking about skin cancer risk.

“It wasn’t a conversation people were having on a regular basis. I just wanted to discuss with people why I had these scars and stitches,” he said. “I was so taken aback. I got a huge response. People were sending me pictures and asking if I thought they had skin cancer.

“I thought, ‘We need to create awareness. People don’t want to feel like they’re being preached to, but we need get people talking about skin cancer.'”

What is Mohs surgery?

We’re delighted to see Sam Champion raising awareness for skin cancer after recently undergoing Mohs surgery—a microscopically-controlled surgery where thin layers of tissue (typically, skin cancer tissue) are removed until the surgeon reaches clear tissue.

“You’re able to remove a very conservative margin around the cancer and study it in essentially real-time,” Dr. Sumaira Aasi, Director of Mohs and Dermatologic Surgery at Stanford, told SurvivorNet in a previous conversation.

If, when the surgeon examines the tissue under the microscope, cancer is found, the surgeon goes back and removes some more tissue, which is what happened in Champions case.

Dr. Sumaira Aasi, Director of Mohs and Dermatologic Surgery at Stanford, explains what Mohs surgery is.

The idea is that by making the tiniest cuts and evaluating them microscopically, the surgeon knows for certain that all the cancer is out when the last piece of tissue proves to be clear. It is often done as an outpatient procedure with local anesthetic.

“The Mohs surgeon will take a conservative cut circumferentially around the cancer where we’re able to preserve healthy tissue,” Dr. Aasi explained. “We’re able to process the tissue and look at the cancerous tissue and know where there are still tumor cells persisting.

Dr. Aasi continued, “Because as the Mohs surgeon removes the cancer, it’s mapped out, and we can go back specifically to the areas where we see cancer cells and take, again, another conservative margin or amount of tissue.”

Understanding Skin Cancer

Skin cancer is the uncontrolled growth of abnormal skin cells. This growth usually happens when un-repaired DNA damage prompts mutations, or genetic defects, that lead the skin cells to multiply fast and form malignant tumors. Although this may sound scary, education is the first step to prevention, and you’re taking that step right now.

Skin cancers are majorly categorized into three types:

• Melanoma: Though less common, it’s the deadliest of them all.
• Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCC): Quite common and has the ability to spread distantly if not treated. The vast majority are low risk but some can be aggressive and require multiple treatment.
• Basal Cell Carcinoma (BCC): The most common type, but luckily the least likely to spread.

Another skin cancer that is much less common, but worth mentioning is Merkel Cell Carcinoma, which is rare and mostly occurs in older adults (average age 74-76). It can be aggressive locally and spread distantly.

For most skin cancers you can take steps to reduce your risk and prevent hem. Prevention as well as early detection and treatment are your best chances at a good outcome.

Top 5 Ways to Protect Your Skin From Skin Cancer:

Recognizing the Early Signs

Let’s talk about the first signs of skin cancer. Your skin is your body’s largest organ, so paying attention to changes is vital. Essentially, skin cancer shows up as a persistent change in your sample of skin. The changes may vary according to the type of skin cancer, but here are some general things to look out for:

• New growths: Any new growth or sore that doesn’t heal should be an alarm for you. Even a small change is worth having a look at.
• Changes in existing moles: Moles are usual suspects in skin cancer cases. Watch out for moles that start to evolve or change in color, size, or shape. Or if the moles like different from other spots on your skin this can also be a sign to get checked by a health care professional.
• Itchy or painful lesions: Skin areas that are constantly itchy, hurting, scaly, or bleeding could be early signs of skin cancer.
• Spots with irregular borders: If you see spots with uneven borders or color, take note.
• Unusual size or shape: Any spot greater than 6 millimeters (roughly the size of a pencil eraser) is suspicious. Also, be mindful of any sore that doesn’t heal.

Remember, you know your body best. If you notice something out of the ordinary, don’t shrug it off – get it checked out. The early detection of skin cancer significantly increases the chances of successful treatment. Plus, it’s always better to be on the safe side.

Also, don’t forget – although we’ve listed some common signs, skin cancer can sometimes behave differently. If something feels off, trust your instincts and consult your doctor. A regular skin examination by a dermatologist can also be a great step towards prevention.

Leading Experts Urge Us to Be Proactive

“If I had any advice for you following a cancer diagnosis, it would be, first, to seek out multiple opinions as to the best care,” National Cancer Institute Chief of Surgery Steven Rosenberg told us in a previous interview, “because finding a doctor who is up to the latest of information is important.”

As we highlight in several areas of SurvivorNet, highly respected doctors sometimes disagree on the right course of treatment, and advances in genetics and immunotherapy are creating new options. Also, in some instances the specific course of treatment is not clear cut. That’s even more reason why understanding the potential approaches to your disease is crucial.

At the National Cancer Institute, there is a patient referral service that will “guide patients to the right group depending on their disease state so that they can gain access to these new experimental treatments,” Rosenberg says.

Cancer Research Legend Urges Patients to Get Multiple Opinions

Furthermore, getting another opinion may also help you avoid doctor biases. For example, some surgeons own radiation treatment centers. “So there may be a conflict of interest if you present to a surgeon that is recommending radiation because there is some ownership of that type of facility,” Dr. Jim Hu, director of robotic surgery at Weill Cornell Medical Center, tells SurvivorNet.

Other reasons to get a second opinion include:

• To see a doctor who has more experience treating your type of cancer
• You have a rare type of cancer
• There are several ways to treat your cancer
• You feel like your doctor isn’t listening to you, or isn’t giving you good advice
• You have trouble understanding your doctor
• You don’t like the treatment your doctor is recommending, or you’re worried about its possible side effects
• Your insurance company wants you to get another medical opinion
• Your cancer isn’t improving on your current treatment

RELATED: Be Pushy, Be Your Own Advocate, Says Leading Expert 

Bottom line, being proactive about your health could be a matter of life or death. Learn as much as you can from as many experts as you can, so that you know that you did your best to take control of your health.

Contributing: SurvivorNet Staff

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