Eyewitness News' Sam Champion back on-air after undergoing skin cancer treatment

Each year, about 3.6 million people are diagnosed with basal cell carcinoma , the most common form of skin cancer, but it can often go unnoticed or may be mistaken for something else.

Two months ago, "Good Morning America" anchor and ABC 7's Eyewitness News meteorologist Sam Champion spotted a red, hard lump underneath his right eye and "knew" it was skin cancer — a self-diagnosis later confirmed by his dermatologist. It unfortunately has been an ongoing struggle for the 63-year-old local journalist; he's had at least a half dozen surgeries to remove cancerous spots on his skin, with his latest surgery earlier this month on the sensitive skin below his right eye.

Champion, who has documented his journey to his over 187,000 social media followers, made his return to the small screen on Wednesday after a successful Mohs surgery at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center on Oct. 2. The Mohs procedure involves a precise removal of cancer using a microscope in real-time to track the margins to remove the least amount of skin, leaving healthy skin behind, Champion's surgeon, Dr. Anthony Rossi, said in an interview that aired on ABC 7's Eyewitness News Wednesday morning.

Rossi said dermatologists often only see the "tip of the iceberg" when skin cancer is spotted, but when the surgery is performed, "we actually see it get wider or deeper."

What happened to Sam Champion?

Champion is a self-proclaimed nature enthusiast who spends a great deal of time with his husband, artist Rubem Robierb, at their homes in Miami Beach and in Rio de Janiero, Brazil. He admits he's been a beachgoer ever since he was a kid, and had really bad sunburns "more times than I can recall." Experiencing five or more sunburns between the ages of 15 and 20 can increase the odds of developing melanoma, the most serious form of skin cancer, by 80% and nonmelanoma cancers (basal cell and squamous skin cancers) by 68%, according to the American Academy of Dermatology Association .

In an Instagram post the afternoon before his surgery, Champion told his followers he was first diagnosed with skin cancer when he was 26 years old, and eventually had spots found on his shoulder, back and several on his face, including his left cheek and his forehead. He urges others to use sunscreen and has even shared his recommendations.

"I grew up at a time when we really didn't use sunscreen," he said. "It wasn't an option, or we didn't know it was an option."

Champion, who also said his pale skin (he's mostly Irish, he said) and his light eyes made him an even greater candidate for skin cancer. Statistics show white populations have higher rates of melanoma with one in every 33 being diagnosed during their life, according to the American Cancer Society .

Champion urges others to go to their dermatologist as soon as they notice something abnormal on their skin and is now a firm advocate of sunscreen, often sharing recommendations on social media. The Skin Cancer Foundation recommends tips on how to examine your skin for early signs of skin cancer development. When caught early, skin cancers are highly curable.

Champion, who has posted glimpses into his recovery journey, has had his ups and downs since he went under the knife, at one point feeling mentally overwhelmed after the doctor had to dig a bit deeper than he expected.

Champion said while skin cancer looks different on everyone, for him, it looks a shiny, almost pearl-like lump under the eye, but it doesn't have the same type of pain of a pimple. For Champion, the spot was a little red and bled in the center, went away for a little bit, then reappeared as red with a little blood in the center again. He decided to get it checked out at his dermatologist, got it biopsied, and like the other spots, was advised to get it removed, since they do tend to get deeper and progress over time.

Now on the mend again, Champion advises others to educate themselves on the harmful effects of the sun, by wearing sunscreen , a hat and getting checked by a skin doctor regularly.

"I want you to be prepared for it," he said in his Wednesday segment on ABC 7. " I want you to have knowledge so that you're never surprised."

Email: lcomstock@njherald.com ; Twitter: @LoriComstockNJH or on Facebook .

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Eyewitness News' Sam Champion back on-air after undergoing skin cancer treatment