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Ian Chappell battling cancer

Cricketing legend & Wide World of Sports commentator has undergone five weeks of intense radiation therapy.

Cricketing legend and Wide World of Sports commentator Ian Chappell has revealed he is battling skin cancer.

Chappell, 75, has undergone five weeks of intense radiation therapy and his latest scans have come back clear.

Specialists determined wanted to be aggressive in their treatment, with Chappell in hospital for radio therapy five days a week for the five-week period.

“I’ve had multiple skin cancers cut off, burnt off and every other way you can get rid of them,” he told the Daily Telegraph.

“When you hit 70 you feel (vulnerable) anyhow, but I guess I’ve got so used to bloody skin cancers over the years, and the fact that none of them have been melanomas, probably provides a bit of comfort. It may be naivety on my part.

“You get to 70 and you start to think, ‘Christ, it’s getting near the end now.’”

Despite the intense therapy he has undertaken, Chappell said he is feeling good and ready to get back in the commentary box.

“With the Ashes coming up now, I’ll speak to Nine and just say, ‘look, I’m ready to go if you need me.’”

Chappell has a lifetime broadcasting contract with Nine.

3 Responses

  1. My thoughts go out to him. I started having skin cancers cut out at 35, and it’s now a yearly ritual. My nose is so scarred that it’s not really my nose anymore. At least the scars on the back are not seen by many people. Every Australian should have a yearly check, because the sooner they are treated, the less invasive and painful the procedure.

  2. Guess with the Cricketers following summer around the world to play during their careers it is a sad thing that some of a certain era will be susceptible to it, given what wasn’t known (Slip-Slop-Slap started in 1981).

    Sometimes at 58 I wonder if it will ever happen to me, as I remember back in my school days it was almost a ritual to come to school with sunburn and even blisters to show your toughness. There was a slap back then but no slip or slop and the slap was someone whacking you on your sunburnt skin to see if you flinched.

    Stay strong Ian and everyone out there at least once a year get checked by your Doctor, especially those of a similar age to me who likely took sunburn as a ritual or even a bit of a laugh because of what we never knew.

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