Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales revealed that he recently underwent a procedure to remove skin cancer on his nose.
Canales arrived to Tuesday’s minicamp with a bandage on his nose and told reporters he recently had a small spot of basal cell carcinoma taken off.
The coach says that the spot was found after a routine skin cancer screening performed by the Panthers – which identified some spots on his nose.
‘It’s a good reminder not to take these things for granted,’ Canales said. ‘It was a basal cell type of skin cancer in a small spot, and they were able to get it off. So I’m really appreciative.’
Canales, 45, admitted that his mother also dealt with skin cancer issues when she was in her 40’s.
The coach says it’s because of his family history that makes him diligent about the use of sunscreen outside.Â
Panthers coach Dave Canales arrived to minicamp with a bandage on his nose
Canales then revealed to reporters he had been diagnosed with skin cancer
The 45-year-old Canales has been the head coach of the Panthers since 2024
‘You can imagine a Southern California kid playing outdoor sports and then getting into coaching, right?’ Canales said.Â
‘This is my opportunity to say, go get screened. This is something that can be caught and detected early.’
Basal cell carcinoma is a highly curable and slow growing form of skin cancer.
According to The Skin Cancer Foundation, basal cell carcinoma is the most common form of the disease and rarely spreads to other parts of the body.
Basal cells are the small cells in the outer layer of the skin.
Canales has been the head coach of the Panthers since 2024 after taking over from his previous job as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator.
Since taking the job, Canales has put up a record of 13-21 with the Panthers.
