Irish golf star Pádraig Harrington has revealed that he had surgery for skin cancer. The three-time major golf champion has already spoken about his fight with skin cancer in 2007, when he had his first procedure, and again in 2009 but the 42-year old revealed last Thursday that he had a number of skin cancers removed from his face.
"I've had a number of skin cancers removed off my face," Harrington related in Today FM's 'The Last Word' radio show. "When you get a symptom don't ignore it. Do something about it."
Harrington underwent surgery for non-melanoma skin cancer known as "sun spots". Non-melanoma skin cancer is one of the most prevalent types of cancer worldwide and affects more men than women. It is characterized by the appearance of a patch or lump on the skin that does not heal after several weeks.
Harrington, a two-time Open champion and 2008 USPGA winner, has had rough dealings with cancer. In 2005, he lost his father Patrick to esophageal cancer, which prompted him to withdraw from the 2005 Open at St Andrews. Esophageal cancer is a malignancy of the esophagus, the tube that moves the food from the mouth to the stomach.
"When I was growing up my dad was a very competitive, very intelligent player and he just taught me the art of scoring," Harrington said of his father.
"My father had symptoms but didn't do anything about it. It's the nature of men in Ireland and certainly older men. I would be much more inclined to go and do something about it," he said. "If I get a pain I go and get it checked out. It's a little bit of hardship (going to the doctor) but you will feel much better afterwards."
Harrington, who is also a patron of the Oesophageal Cancer Fund (OCF) in Ireland, a charity that raises awareness as well as supports research that could prevent and eradicate esophageal cancer, has spoken to raise awareness about cancer treatment.
"Dealing with cancer is not what it was 10 years ago. Instead of just one treatment they are now looking at combining different types of treatment of dealing with oesophageal cancer," he said. "Everybody responds differently to treatment and ways of treating cancer are moving on. I see that when I travel the world. It is easier to clear these things up at the start rather than waiting until there is a problem. You can get treated and go on to live a much longer life."
