The WWE star-turned-actor opened up about his diagnosisJohn Cena recently opened up about a major health scare that made him rethink one important daily habit—something he now wishes he had started much earlier in life. It all began when two small spots on his skin turned out to be cancerous.

The WWE legend and actor revealed that earlier this year, he was diagnosed with skin cancer. He went in for a routine skin check, and during that visit, his dermatologist removed a suspicious spot from his right pectoral muscle.

Shortly after, Cena received a phone call from his doctor, asking him to come back for a follow-up. That moment would end up being a life-changing one.

turned out that the removed spot was cancerous. Cena told People magazine that he felt “lucky” to have a dermatologist who supported him and helped guide him through everything that came after his diagnosis

About a year later, he found himself back at the dermatologist’s office once again for another issue.

The 48-year-old shared: “A year later I went back and had another spot removed close to my right shoulder. It shows up like a white polka dot on the side of my chest and on my shoulder. If you watch WWE, you’ll be able to see them.”

‘It right there prompted me to change my life’

In a recent interview highlighted by USA Today, Cena shared that the second spot doctors found also tested positive for cancer.

“I received the phone call twice, ‘Hey, you’ve got to come back, because the biopsy came back cancerous.’” he recalled. “That information is sobering, and it right there prompted me to change my life.”

Although Cena has now received treatment for both cancerous spots, he admitted that for a long time, he didn’t pay enough attention to protecting his skin especially when spending time outdoors. Looking back, he says he truly wishes he had learned earlier just how important sun protection is.