A Fox News TV host was left stunned after discovering he has skin cancer while live on air.
Mike Jerrick, co-host of Good Day Philadelphia, brought dermatologist, Dr. Joanna Walker, on air before the pair discovered a likely-cancerous spot on the hosts’ elbow.
Walker, who works with the Tara Miller Melanoma Center at the University of Pennsylvania, told Jerrick that his spot has ‘all the features’ pointing to skin cancer.
‘So this is a basal cell skin cancer,’ Walker said pointing to Jerrick’s arm. ‘That has all the features of the most common type of skin cancer.’
Walker reassured him that it was ‘very treatable,’ as it is one of the more ‘slow growing’ types of skin cancer.
She told the host that he would need to have the spot removed, to which he asked: ‘What are you gonna do to it? Burn it off?’
‘This one probably needs to be cut and stitched,’ Walker said.
‘What!’ Jerrick exclaimed. ‘And then stich me up?’
Mike Jerrick, co-host of Good Day Philadelphia, brought dermatologist, Dr. Joanna Walker, on air before the pair discovered a likely-cancerous spot on the hosts’ elbow
Walker reassured Jerrick (pictured) that it was ‘very treatable,’ as it is one of the more ‘slow growing’ types of skin cancer
‘So this one is a very slow growing type of skin cancer, it’s not gonna spread to anywhere else on your body,’ Walker said.
‘But it needs to be removed so it doesn’t keep growing and taking over normal skin,’
‘Oh, good lord,’ Jerrick responded.
He further told Fox News that he was entirely shocked by the discovery.
‘I did say that we should have had her bring her [micro]scope because I wanted to check out of couple of things on my arms, so that part was planned,’ he said.
‘But I never really thought it was going to be skin cancer.’
His co-host Alex Holley asked if he needed to make an appointment fairly soon, to which Walker firmly said that he should.
‘When she blurted it out, I didn’t get alarmed or anything,’ Jerrick said. ‘It was just like, “Oh dang, I should have done this a long time ago.”‘
Walker, who works with the Tara Miller Melanoma Center at the University of Pennsylvania, told Jerrick that his spot has ‘all the features’ pointing to skin cancer
‘I was more shocked that she said she was going to cut it out instead of burn it off- that’s where I got surprised,’ he added.
Jerrick is scheduled to have the spot removed on Friday, according to the outlet.
‘I should be fine,’ he said. ‘She’ll just suture me up and I’ll be on my way.’
Basal Cell Carcinoma is the most common type of cancer, with an estimated 3.6 million cases in the US annually.
According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, BCC can look differently on a case by case basis but typically can appear as an open sore, red patches, pink growths, shiny bumps, scars or growths with elevated rolled edges.
BCC most often occurs after exposure to ultraviolet radiation from the sun or tanning beds resulting in DNA damage.
