Hours later, on November 11, he shared the news that fans had been hoping for, writing, “JR is out of surgery and everything went well! Praise God!”

In August, Ross had a shunt placed to drain excess fluid from his brain. He battled severe headaches in the weeks that followed, and a problem with the shunt sent him back into surgery in October. Wednesday’s procedure, his third of the year, was to fix it.

JR is out of surgery and everything went well! Praise God!

— Conrad the Mortgage Guy (@HeyHeyItsConrad) November 11, 2026

According to UTHealth Houston and Penn Medicine, a brain shunt is a thin tube surgically placed to drain excess cerebrospinal fluid, with a valve that opens when pressure in the brain gets too high and tubing that carries the fluid to the abdomen, where the body absorbs it.

Ross has not specified what type of shunt he received, though the ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunt, which drains into the abdomen, is one commonly used type.

Last month, Ross kept fans updated on his health on X. “Getting another brain surgery Wednesday morning to address an issue with my shunt. Positive thoughts appreciated. Thanks,” he wrote on Oct. 5.

A week later, on Oct. 12, he shared a photo of himself in a hospital bed, revealing he was “back in the hospital due to low oxygen.” He noted that he was down to 198 pounds and said he needed “a break.”

Back in the hospital due to low oxygen. Weighed 198. Need a break. 🤠 https://t.co/4hZ7pKNwHF

— Jim Ross (@JRsBBQ) October 13, 2026

Ross’ post drew an outpouring of support, including from several familiar faces in wrestling and sports.

WWE star Lexis King urged him to “put some weight on,” adding, “Hang in there Jim!!!” Former WWE and NWA star Tyrus playfully joked about Ross’ slimmer frame, writing, “You’re clearly a body guy now coach! Keep winning!”

Former WWE wrestler Ryback and ex-NFL quarterback turned broadcaster Sean Salisbury also chimed in with heart, flexed-arm, and prayer emojis.

Fans echoed the encouragement, writing, “Get well soon JR! God bless you and your family big guy, praying for you” and “Low oxygen can’t keep JR down. He’s about to hulk-up.”

Others simply wished him well, with one fan writing, “Keep up the fight JR!” and another adding, “Godspeed JR, we need you back in the saddle asap!”

Jim Ross’ Health Battles

The shunt surgeries are just the latest chapter in a long string of health battles for Ross. He was diagnosed with skin cancer in 2021 and completed 22 rounds of radiation, later sharing in August 2023 that his MRIs had come back clear.

The veteran broadcaster then underwent surgery for colon cancer in the summer of 2025, sharing afterward that he was cancer-free and turning his focus to rehabilitation.

More recently, he also dealt with a suspicious mass on his kidney.

Even years after his skin cancer treatment, Ross is still living with its effects. On another episode of his “Grilling JR” podcast, the AEW commentator revealed that a wound on his left ankle from the cancer and radiation “has not healed.”

“I have home health care nurses who come to my home twice a week, and they look me over and take my vitals, blood sugar, and blood pressure, and I still have issues,” he said. “So they dress that twice a week… And it’s looking better, but it’s not healed.”

Ross, who has lost more than 50 pounds over the years, also opened up about managing his blood sugar and recovering from broken toes, which have kept him from physical therapy.

“My life is getting more structured under new circumstances of my health,” he said, adding that his toes “are healing slowly and I’ll [soon] be back in the saddle.”

Colon Cancer Is Treatable and Curable When Caught Early

Colon cancer is very treatable and curable if caught early. Colon cancer screenings can involve at-home tests such as Cologuard, but a colonoscopy is more effective, according to SurvivorNet experts.

The cancer starts when abnormal lumps called polyps grow in the colon or rectum. It takes up to 10 years for a colon polyp to become full-blown cancer, according to SurvivorNet experts.

When you have a colonoscopy, the gastroenterologist looks for polyps inside your intestine. Although polyps can’t be felt, they can be picked up by screening tests before they cause a problem, such as colon or rectal (colorectal) cancer.

A polyp found during a colonoscopy can be removed, which can prevent the development of cancer. Almost all polyps that are removed are precancerous, meaning that they have not yet progressed to cancer.

WATCH: Does Alcohol Impact the Risks for Colon and Other Cancers?

The American Gastrointestinal Association lowered the recommended initial age for colorectal screening from 50 to 45. However, experts recommend screening earlier for some people who may be at an increased risk of developing colon cancer, such as those with a family history of the disease.

WATCH: Debunking misconceptions about colon cancer.

The most poignant sign of colon cancer is a change in bowel habits. Changes in the size or shape of bowel movements may cause constipation or diarrhea. A change in stool color, particularly black or tarry stools, can indicate bleeding from a tumor deep in the colon.

Other symptoms can be harder to pinpoint, such as abdominal pain and unintentional weight loss. Finally, some tumors bleed a small amount over a long period of time, resulting in anemia (low red blood cell count) that is picked up on blood work.

A Colonoscopy Explained

A colonoscopy is a screening test that allows doctors to examine the inside of the colon for signs of cancer or other abnormalities.

To prepare, the colon must be completely emptied. Your doctor will prescribe a bowel prep—a liquid solution taken the night before—that works as a strong laxative and triggers multiple loose stools to clear the colon.

With the colon clean, the gastroenterologist can carefully inspect the lining and remove or evaluate any polyps or suspicious areas.
Follow‑up timing depends on what’s found. If polyps are present, especially larger or multiple ones, doctors typically recommend repeating the colonoscopy in three to five years.

WATCH: What Doctors Look for During Colonoscopies

A Growing Cohort of Younger Cancer Patients

“At the beginning of my career, there were really no patients under the age of 50,” Dr. John Marshall, director of the Ruesch Center for the Cure of Gastrointestinal Cancers at Georgetown University and Chief Medical Consultant at the Colorectal Cancer Alliance, told SurvivorNet.

“Now approximately half of my patients are under the age of 50.”

While colorectal cancer remains most common in people over 55, cases in younger adults have risen by 2.4% each year from 2012 to 2021, according to the American Cancer Society.

This surge prompted updated screening guidelines: average‑risk adults should now begin screening at 45 instead of 50, with earlier testing recommended for those with symptoms or a family history.

This change was recommended by advocacy organizations in 2018 and officially supported by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) in 2021.

The new recommendation led to more people getting screened earlier. Since 2018, there has been a 17% increase in colorectal cancer cases for people between the ages of 45 and 49, directly related to the new screening guideline.

WATCH: Deciding When to Operate on Colon Cancer

Researchers are still working to understand what’s driving the rise in younger patients.

Dr. Marshall believes the answer may lie in the gut microbiome — the community of bacteria, viruses, and other microorganisms in the digestive tract. Potential influences include diet, microplastics, and antibiotic exposure, but more research is needed to pinpoint the cause.

What Is Skin Cancer?

At its core, skin cancer happens when abnormal skin cells start growing out of control. This usually begins with DNA damage that the body doesn’t repair. Over time, that damage can cause mutations, or genetic errors, that push skin cells to divide rapidly and form malignant tumors. It can sound frightening, but understanding how it works is the first step toward protecting yourself, and reading this means you’ve already started.

RELATED: What You Need to Know About Skin Cancer

Skin cancers generally fall into three main types:

• Melanoma: Less common than the others, but the most dangerous.
• Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCC): The second most common type. Most cases are low risk and very treatable when caught early, but SCC can spread to distant parts of the body if left alone, and some cases behave aggressively and need more than one treatment.
• Basal Cell Carcinoma (BCC): The most common type, and fortunately the least likely to spread.

There’s also a much rarer type worth knowing about: Merkel cell carcinoma. It tends to affect older adults (the average age at diagnosis is around 74 to 76) and can be aggressive both at the original site and elsewhere in the body.

The good news is that many skin cancers can be prevented, and there are real steps you can take to lower your risk. Prevention, along with catching cancer early and treating it promptly, gives you the best shot at a good outcome.

Spotting the Early Warning Signs

It’s important to understand that your skin is the largest organ in your body, so noticing changes matters. In general, skin cancer shows up as a change in your skin that doesn’t go away. What that change looks like depends on the type, but here are some common red flags:

• New growths: A new spot, bump, or sore that won’t heal deserves attention. Even small changes are worth checking.
• Changing moles: Moles are often where trouble starts. Keep an eye out for moles that change in color, size, or shape, or that look noticeably different from your other spots. Any of these is a good reason to see a health care provider.
• Itchy or painful areas: Patches of skin that stay itchy, sore, scaly, or bleed could be an early sign.
• Uneven borders or color: Spots with irregular edges or a mix of colors are worth noting.
• Size and shape: A spot larger than 6 millimeters (about the size of a pencil eraser) is considered suspicious. And again, watch for sores that don’t heal.

WATCH: How to protect your skin from skin cancer

A Closer Look at the Types of Skin Cancer

Not all skin cancers are alike, and the differences go beyond how serious they are or where they appear. The three main types, basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and melanoma, each have their own traits. Here’s a quick breakdown.

Basal cell carcinoma (BCC): You may not recognize the name, but BCC is the most common skin cancer out there. It develops in basal cells, which make new skin cells as old ones are shed. BCC tends to grow slowly and rarely spreads, but if it’s ignored, it can do real damage to the surrounding tissue.

Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC): It’s the second most common skin cancer. SCC begins in the squamous cells, the flat cells that make up the skin’s outer layer. It most often shows up on areas that get a lot of sun, like the face, ears, lips, scalp, neck, hands, and arms, though it can appear elsewhere too.

SCC can look like a firm red bump, a flat and scaly patch, a sore that heals and then returns, or a thickened area that bleeds. It sometimes develops from actinic keratoses, rough, scaly spots caused by sun damage that are considered precancerous, which is why it’s worth having those checked rather than ignored.

Long-term UV exposure from the sun or tanning beds is the biggest risk factor. Fair skin, older age, a history of sunburns, and a weakened immune system (for example, after an organ transplant) also raise the risk.

The encouraging news is that most SCCs are caught early and cured with treatments like surgical removal or Mohs surgery, which removes the cancer layer by layer while sparing healthy skin. Radiation is another option in some cases, and for advanced SCC that has spread, immunotherapy has become an important treatment. Still, because SCC is more likely than BCC to spread to other tissues and organs, it should never be brushed off.

Melanoma: This is the name most people know. Melanoma is less common but more dangerous because it’s more likely to spread. It begins in melanocytes, the cells that produce melanin, which gives skin its color. Melanoma often starts in or near a mole, though it can show up anywhere on the body. Unlike BCC and SCC, it can grow and spread quickly if it isn’t treated.

Those three account for most cases, but not all. Rarer types include Merkel cell carcinoma and dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans.

Questions to Ask Your Doctor

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

If you have a skin cancer or colon cancer screening coming up or have recently had one, you may have questions you want answered. SurvivorNet’s proprietary AI tool “My Health Questions” is designed specifically for patients and caregivers.

WATCH: How One Cancer Survivor and Her Sister Used “My Health Questions” to Navigate Care

Contributing: SurvivorNet Staff

Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.

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