Skin Cancer Survivor Andy Roddick, 44, Was the Last American Man to Hoist Grand Slam Title In Victory, How He Dealt With Multiple Skin Cancers Since Leaving the Tennis Court

Squamous cell carcinoma develops in the squamous cells just beneath the skin’s surface and often appears as firm red bumps, scaly flat patches, or sores that bleed. It typically grows slowly, but it carries a higher risk of spreading, making early attention crucial.

Other skin cancer types include basal cell carcinoma – the most common type of skin cancer, according to the American Cancer Society – and melanoma, the most aggressive form of skin cancer due to its ability to spread to other parts of the body.

Roddick noted he hadn’t spoken publicly about his experience until recently.

“This morning we went into this face laser thing; that’s why, for those of you watching on YouTube, it looks like I got in a fight,” he joked.

 

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Now a father of two, he’s become vocal about sun protection. “Use sunscreen, put sunscreen on your kids, especially if they’re tennis players,” he urged.

Mohs Micrographic Surgery: A Precise Approach to Skin Cancer Treatment

Mohs surgery is the leading method for treating skin cancer on delicate, high-risk areas like the face, ears, and nose. This meticulous technique—known as Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS)—uses microscopic guidance to remove cancerous tissue layer by layer, ensuring that only affected areas are excised while preserving as much healthy skin as possible.

WATCH: The best surgery option for melanoma.

It’s especially effective for treating common skin cancers like basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma.

During the procedure, the area is numbed with a local anesthetic. The surgeon carefully removes the visible tumor with a scalpel and immediately examines the tissue under a microscope. If cancer cells remain, the process is repeated—one layer at a time—until all cancerous cells are gone.

This methodical approach offers high cure rates, particularly when cancers are caught early, and minimizes scarring for sensitive, visible areas of the body.

“What is being done is that you’re able to remove a very conservative margin around the cancer and study it in, essentially, real time,” explains Dr. Sumaira Aasi, a professor of dermatology and Director of Mohs and Dermatologic Surgery at Stanford.

“The Mohs surgeon will take a conservative cut circumferentially around the cancer, where we’re able to preserve healthy tissue. We’re able to process the tissue and look at the cancerous tissue and know where there are still tumor cells persisting. As the Mohs surgeon removes the cancer, it’s mapped out.”

Dr. Aasi adds that the surgeon may go back specifically to the areas where the cancer cells were present and take out another conservative margin or amount of cancerous tissue and repeat the process until the cancer is out completely.

Surgery for BCC

When someone has surgery for basal cell carcinoma (BCC), the process usually follows several key steps:

• Diagnosis: A dermatologist first confirms the presence of BCC, typically through a skin biopsy. A small sample of the suspicious area is removed and examined under a microscope to identify cancerous cells.
• Pre‑operative evaluation: Once the diagnosis is confirmed, the care team assesses the patient’s overall health and the tumor’s size, depth, and location to determine the best surgical approach.
• Surgical removal (often Mohs surgery):
  • As Dr. Sumaira Aasi of Stanford explains, surgeons can remove very thin layers of tissue and examine them under a microscope in real time. If cancer cells are still present, they remove another small layer. By taking the smallest possible margins and checking each stage microscopically, the surgeon can be confident the cancer is fully removed once the final layer is clear. This is typically done as an outpatient procedure with local anesthesia.
• Reconstruction: Depending on how much tissue was removed and where the cancer was located, reconstruction may be needed to restore appearance or function. This can involve stitches, skin grafts, or other techniques.
• Post‑operative care: Patients receive instructions on caring for the surgical site—usually keeping the area clean, changing dressings as directed, and protecting the skin from sun exposure.
• Follow‑up: Regular check-ins are important to ensure proper healing, monitor for recurrence, and address any concerns that arise after surgery.

Is Skin Cancer Surgery Covered By Insurance?

Some patients worry their insurance company might classify skin cancer surgery as a cosmetic procedure, but experts say that’s rarely the case. Most insurers cover medically necessary skin cancer removal.

“Most surgery is covered by most insurance,” says Dr. Jesse Lewin, System Chief of the Division of Dermatologic & Cosmetic Surgery at Mount Sinai. “Even though the reconstruction is done in a cosmetically sensitive way, it’s not a cosmetic procedure.”

He adds that patients are not billed for cosmetic work after the cancer is removed. One major benefit, he explains, is that a single surgeon can remove the cancer, examine the tissue under a microscope, and perform the reconstruction—all in one visit, while the patient remains awake for this outpatient procedure.

Spotting Skin Cancer

You should check your body for unusual spots or moles at least once a month. Any new spots or changes in size or color demand your attention.

Changes to a mole you’ve had for a while or a new growth on your skin could be signs of melanoma, according to SurvivorNet’s experts. Though these marks are unlikely to be cancerous, you’ll want to keep an eye on them and inform your doctor about any changes you notice.

WATCH: When checking for melanoma, remember your ABCDEs

Melanoma is most likely to develop on sun-exposed skin, such as the face, neck, arms, and legs. Surprisingly, it might also develop in places that have never been exposed to the sun, such as the palms of your hands or soles of your feet, your eyes or mouth, or under your nails.

SurvivorNet experts describe melanoma symptoms as:

• A sore that doesn’t heal
• Color that spreads from the border of a spot to the skin around it
• Redness or swelling that goes beyond the area of a mole.
• Itchiness, tenderness, or pain
• A change in the way the surface of a mole looks.
• Scaliness, oozing, or blood

Tips to Protect Your Skin from Skin Cancer

As many of us enjoy spending lots of time in the sun during the spring and summer, we must remember that the sun can harm us. For most people, there are simple ways to significantly reduce their risk of developing skin cancer.

Dermatologist Dr. Dendy Engelman offers five ways to protect your skin from cancer. Most of her recommendations are simple to follow and could save your life.

WATCH: How to protect your skin from skin cancer.

Her simple tips include:

• Avoid the sun during peak hours, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. If you are outside during those hours, protect yourself from harmful sun rays.
• Cover your skin and eyes. A wide-brim hat and sunglasses will protect your face, the top of your head, your ears, and the delicate skin around your eyes.
• Wear an SPF of 30 or higher. Dr. Engelman also recommends reapplying every few hours or after excessive sweating or swimming.
• Get an annual skin check. You can check your skin for anything that looks out of the ordinary, but you should still get a yearly check to ensure you don’t miss anything. If you notice anything unusual between checks, schedule an appointment to talk to your doctor.
• Avoid tanning beds.

If you feel like you’re just too pale, Dr. Engelman recommends a sunless tanner. “There’s absolutely no benefit to going to a tanning bed,” Dr. Engelman said.

WATCH: Melanoma treatment options

People with Darker Skin Complexions Also Face Skin Cancer Risks

A rare form of melanoma called acral lentiginous melanoma (ALM) impacted Bob Marley. According to research published in the medical journal Neoplasia, acral melanoma “arises on the non-hair-bearing skin of the nail bed, palms of the hand and soles of the feet” and is not linked to sun ultraviolet (UV) light like other skin cancers.

This rare subtype of melanoma is more common among people of Black, Hispanic/Latin, and Asian descent. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says, “Non-Hispanic Black people are often diagnosed with melanoma at later stages, and the predominant histologic types of melanomas that occur in non-Hispanic Black people have poorer survival rates than the most common types among non-Hispanic white people.

Questions to Ask Your Doctor

If you are diagnosed with skin cancer, you may have some questions for your doctor. SurvivorNet suggests the following to help you on your cancer journey.

• What type of skin cancer do I have?
• What treatment options exist for my specific cancer?
• Will insurance cover this treatment?
• Would treatment through a clinical trial make sense to me?
• What resources exist to help manage my anxiety because of this diagnosis?

Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.

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