CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WBTV) - The Carolina Panthers’ head coach had cancerous tissue removed last week, he revealed during a press conference on Tuesday afternoon.
Dave Canales, who is entering his third year with Carolina, talked about the procedure during his June 9 press conference.
He told reporters that a team that comes to do skin cancer screening each year detected a small spot on his nose about two months ago. He then had the spot -- which was basal cell skin cancer -- removed this past Friday.
“This is my opportunity to say, go get screened,” Canales said with a band-aid on his nose. “This is something that can be caught and detected early ... They took care of it and took care of me. Really appreciative of them.”
He said doctors were able to get all of the cancerous tissue removed.
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The 45-year-old coach said it was the first time he had been diagnosed with anything of the sorts, but shared that his mom went through a similar situation in her 40s.
Canales said he has been “religious” about using sunscreen and often wears long sleeves to practice.
“It’s something that they recommended,” he said of the long sleeves. “Sun block is good but if you can put sleeves on ... I don’t wear hats a lot, I probably should wear hats more. And so, it’s you know, my hat ends up on top of my head most of the time so I just stopped wearing them. But it’s important to keep the coverage of your nose and ear areas.”
What to know about skin cancer
According to the CDC, protection from UV rays is important all year long -- not just during the summer.
The CDC recommended the following tips to minimize skin cancer risk:
Stay in the shade
Wear clothing that covers arms and legs
Wear a wide-brimmed hat to shade face, head, ears and neck
Wear sunglasses that wrap around and block both UVA and UVB rays
Use a broad spectrum sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 15 or higher
The CDC also said skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States, with about 6.1 million adults treated for basal cell and squamous cell cancers every year.
A band-aid covered the spot where Panthers coach Dave Canales had skin cancer removed.
A band-aid covered the spot where Panthers coach Dave Canales had skin cancer removed.(Nell Redmond | AP Photo/Nell Redmond)
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