Sam Champion is recovering following Mohs surgery to remove skin cancer from underneath his eye.
The Good Morning America weather anchor shared a series of photos on social media detailing his treatment for skin cancer at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City on October 2.
“First pass of the knife with Mohs surgery today! Now we wait for results,” the 63-year-old captioned a photo of himself wearing a bandage on his cheek.
Champion was first diagnosed with skin cancer in his 20s, which he says was due to excessive sun exposure.
“I haven’t done that in years now. When I’m in a beach chair, I have an umbrella, and I have my sunscreen,” he said of his previous habits, according to Closer Weekly.
“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.”
For decades, Champion has advocated for skin checks, often candidly sharing his own experiences with his fans.
“For about 30 years now, I’ve been reminding you guys to regularly have a doctor examine the places on your skin that just don’t look right! I’ve had dozens of skin cancer removed, most simple basal cell… Today a biopsy on this one under my eye!” he shared in July.
Despite having gone through Mohs surgery before, including once live-on air on GMA, Champion said, “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.”
According to John Hopkins Medicine, during Mohs surgery, the surgeon removes thin layers of skin and examines each layer for cancer. The procedure continues until there are no signs of cancer.
Champion’s most recent surgery required two passes to ensure all the cancer was removed.
“A little longer and deeper necessary.. not gonna lie.. I’m disappointed.. but we are going to get it all out,” he wrote on Instagram.
“Final final. We got it all!” he added as a final update. “Thanks to a hard working group of very kind DRs and Nurses! Keep a close eye on your skin… No one knows it better than you… And when you see something you don’t like, make sure you talk to your doctor.”
It’s extremely important to visit your doctor for annual skin checks. Checking your skin for suspicious moles takes only a few minutes, but it could save your life.
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