- Sam Champion has returned to live TV after taking a leave of absence for skin cancer surgery on his face, which he documented on social media
- Good Morning America weather anchor shared his cancer journey, telling viewers his “spot” was discovered to be “larger and deeper” than expected
- He urged viewers to take preventative measures like wearing sunscreen, and said he’s not worried about the scar, explaining, “The scar is not the problem. The skin cancer is the problem”
Sam Champion has returned to live TV after taking a leave of absence to have skin cancer surgery for a spot under his eye — a spot he said was “larger and deeper than I’d expected,” leaving the beloved Good Morning America weather anchor with a sizable scar.
The longtime New York news personality, 63, has been documenting his skin cancer journey on social media, and for his Oct. 18 return to live TV, he shared details of his surgery, along with cancer prevention tips.
Sam Champion/Instagram
“I hope that one day, no, one has to go through surgery to get rid of skin cancer,” Champion said.
Looking back on how he developed skin cancer, Champion shared, “I love nothing more than being outside. But these days, I wouldn’t think about going outside without sunscreen. It wasn’t always the case.”
“I don’t even have any way of counting how many times I had blistering sunburns. That was just the story of my life,” Champion is shown telling dermatologist Dr. Anthony Rossi at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, where he underwent skin cancer surgery on Oct. 1.
As Champion explained, the “spot right under my eye” turned out to be a nodular basal cell carcinoma.
“These skin cancers can grow like icebergs,” Rossi explained. “So, sometimes we only see the tip of the iceberg on the top of the skin, and as we go down and cut through we actually see it get wider or deeper.”
That’s what happened with Champion; During Mohs surgery, his cancer was determined to have spread much deeper into his skin.
Rossi explained Mohs is a “technique of surgery where not only do we just cut it out, but we actually look at it under the microscope in real time while you’re waiting… we just want to get out the cancer.”
He also underwent laser treatment to remove some “dark, precancerous spots” on his face.
“While I can’t go back in time these days, we know more and I don’t leave home without putting on sunscreen,” Champion said.
Sam Champion/Instagram
Champion shared that he wasn’t allowed to put any makeup or skincare on the scar just yet, as the stitches were removed just a day prior. Still, he said, “the scar is not the problem. The skin cancer is the problem. We got rid of that.”
In an Instagram video shot the morning before his appearance, Champion shared more details about his scar’s healing process, saying that he wasn’t allowed to hit the gym or “vigorously” wash his face either. But as he shared on Good Morning America, “The next phase of my journey will be scar care and trust me, there’s a lot of advancement in that as well.”
He also urged viewers to not be concerned if they hear they’ll need surgery for skin cancer, explaining that scar treatment options these days include laser therapy, bio-oil, and silicone patches.
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“You know me, I’m going to try all of these things and I’ll tell you how they work, and I’m going to end up looking like I’m 20 years old,” Champion joked.
He also shared that sunscreen has come a long way since the “goopy” stuff he grew up using, reminding viewers that “no matter how old you are — my first one was at 26 — no matter what your skin tone, your skin type, your skin color, they’re cutting skin cancer off of everybody.”
“So, it’s everybody’s issue.”
