Rachel Maddow reveals she had surgery to remove skin cancer

On The Rachel Maddow Show Wednesday, Maddow revealed that she was out Monday and Tuesday because she’d had surgery to remove skin cancer. Maddow said her partner of 22 years, Susan Mikula, noticed a mole on her neck that had changed while the two were at a minor league baseball game. After getting a second opinion, Maddow went to the dermatologist, who confirmed that she indeed had skin cancer.

“Long story short, Susan was right, Dianne was right,” Maddow said. “I went to the dermatologist, she said, ‘Hey, you know what? That mole has changed.’ I was like, ‘Yeah, I’ve heard that.’ Did a biopsy, turns out it was skin cancer.”

Maddow, who had a barely-noticeable bandage on her face and neck, had the surgery to remove the cancer on Friday, and said she’s going to be just fine.

“I am going to be absolutely fine,” Maddow said. “I’m going to be totally fine, but that is why I have a band-aid. I actually have felt fine since I got the surgery on Friday, in terms of how I felt, and pain levels and stuff. I could have come back right away. I could have been on the air Friday night. I didn't do that because I didn't want to weird you out because of the visual of me having the band-aid.”

Video transcript

RACHEL MADDOW: Long story short, Susan was right. Diane was right. I went to the dermatologist, she said, hey, you know what? That mole has changed. I was like, yeah. I've heard that. Did a biopsy, turns out it was skin cancer.

KYLIE MAR: On the Rachel Maddow Show Wednesday, Maddow revealed that she was recently diagnosed with skin cancer. After her partner of 22 years, Susan, noticed a mole on her neck that had changed. Maddow was out the first couple of days of the week, because she had surgery to remove the cancer.

RACHEL MADDOW: I had a few days off, because I had surgery at NYU Langone on Friday. They're fantastic. They got it, they got all of it. I'm good. I have clear margins and the whole thing. I now need to have everything checked, like, every five minutes from here on out, because I do not want to get this again.

KYLIE MAR: And Maddow said she feels great and is going to be just fine.

RACHEL MADDOW: I am going to be absolutely fine. I'm going to be totally fine. But that is why I have a Band-Aid. I actually have felt fine since I got the surgery on Friday in terms of how I felt and pain levels and stuff. I could have come back right away. I could have been on the air on Friday night. I didn't do that, because I didn't want to weird you out because of the visual of me having the Band-Aid.

KYLIE MAR: Maddow also urged others to get checked, because skin cancer is highly curable but only if caught early enough.

RACHEL MADDOW: Even the skin cancers that are the deadliest skin cancers in this country. Those two are way more treatable than they used to be. On one condition-- that you get them early. Even the most worrying forms of skin cancer, if you identify it early enough, it is now quite treatable.