John Cena's cancer diagnosis was 'sobering.' Here's what he wished he knew sooner.

John Cena ne'er thought it would hap to him. But past helium got the telephone — twice. The spots connected his tegument were cancerous.

Cena’s archetypal skin spot was discovered connected his near pectoral musculus during a regular sojourn to the dermatologist. It was promptly removed and sent for testing. His 2nd spot was noticed a twelvemonth aboriginal connected his near precocious trapezius muscle.

“I received the telephone telephone twice, ‘Hey, you’ve got to travel back, due to the fact that the biopsy came backmost cancerous,’” Cena recalls. “That accusation is sobering, and it close determination prompted maine to alteration my life.”

The 16-time WWE satellite champion, who is present the look of the caller Neutrogena run for Ultra Sheer Mineral Face Liquid Sunscreen SPF 70, says helium had ever “neglected” SPF. But helium rapidly integrated applying sunscreen into his regular routine, calling it his mode of showing “gratitude” aft his crab scare.

“Skincare is simply a much palatable and accepted word and taxable substance amongst women,” helium says. Discussions betwixt men tin beryllium much hard to initiate. But it doesn’t person to beryllium that way, helium argues. “Men especially, are becoming much conscious of self-care… I conscionable deliberation we request to marque it much commonplace.”

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Cena wants to adjacent the 'gender gap' successful SPF usage

Women are more than doubly arsenic likely arsenic men to deterioration sunscreen, but by property 50, men are at a greater risk of melanoma than women. And astatine immoderate age, men are much apt to dice from melanoma than women, according to the American Academy of Dermatology.

Only 12.3% of men – compared to 29.0% of women – aged 18 years oregon older ever utilized sunscreen erstwhile extracurricular connected a sunny time for much than 1 hr successful 2020, according to the CDC. The lowest percent of men who ever utilized sunscreen was among those aged 18-29 years (8.2%); that complaint roseate to 13.7% among men aged 30-44.

Data from a 2025 survey conducted by Talker Research connected behalf of Neutrogena, with a illustration of 500 Hispanic Americans and 500 wide colonisation Americans divided evenly by generation, recovered that astir a 3rd of respondents ne'er sojourn a dermatologist oregon wellness nonrecreational for skin-related checkups, and women were much apt to beryllium advised to deterioration SPF each time arsenic opposed to men (27% vs. 18%).

“SPF is much communal successful the vernacular of women, and that’s due to the fact that it is straight correlated with beauty,” Cena says.

More young radical are getting cancer

Many young celebrities person precocious announced they person (or had) cancer. James Van Der Beek. Jenna Fischer. Olivia Munn. Princess Kate. Elle Macpherson. The database goes on.

There's nary nonstop origin known for the emergence successful cancers among young people, according to experts, but researchers are trying to fig it out. But arsenic a metallic lining, radical person been less apt to dice from cancer over the past fewer decades contempt the expanding incidence rate.

For those disquieted astir their ain hazard – wearing SPF is simply a bully spot to start. Regular usage of SPF 15 sunscreen tin trim your hazard of processing squamous compartment carcinoma (SCC) by astir 40 percent, and little your melanoma hazard by 50 percent, according to the Skin Cancer Foundation.

John Cena's last proposal for men

He doesn’t attraction wherefore idiosyncratic is prompted to usage SPF – whether it beryllium for quality oregon wellness – conscionable truthful agelong arsenic they usage it.

“If idiosyncratic uses SPF, due to the fact that they don't privation to get wrinkles, it’s similar idiosyncratic going to the gym saying, ‘I privation to beryllium ripped.’ But being ‘ripped’ is fundamentally making healthier choices,” helium explains. “So you tin spell to the gym for aesthetic purposes, but the reward of grooming goes acold much than conscionable aesthetic beauty. I deliberation SPF is successful the aforesaid lane.”

Cena knows that radical request to beryllium "proactive enough" to marque important changes to their routine, but says it's "super easy" to beryllium much conscious of your skin.

"I've done immoderate beauteous aspirational things successful the spot and wellness department, arsenic acold arsenic nutritional choices and grooming regimens, and that’s truly complicated, hard stuff," helium says. But wearing SPF is conscionable similar "brushing your teeth."

His imaginativeness for the aboriginal is for men to commencement keeping a conduit of sunscreen close adjacent to their toothpaste — and retrieve to usage it daily.

"My position connected beingness has changed, but it took immoderate existent sobering news," helium says. "I don't privation anybody to get there, truthful I’m conscionable trying to usage my level to get up of that one."

Contributing: David Oliver

This nonfiction primitively appeared connected USA TODAY: John Cena was shocked by his tegument cancer. He has a message.