Friends are worried sick that “Eight Is Enough” star DICK VAN PATTEN may be battling another bout of skin cancer!
The beloved TV dad, 85, recently enjoyed a sun-kissed day at the beach in Malibu with several family members.
But ominous-looking moles could be seen near his neck and shoulders, and Dick kept his head covered at all times.
“He’s been having skin cancers removed for years,” said a source close to the actor. “He just has to be especially careful in the sun.”
Dick – who played widower Tom Bradford on the sitcom from 1977 to 1981 – is a Type 2 diabetic and has battled numerous health problems over the years.
A diabetic stroke in 2006 left him temporarily paralyzed, and in 2008, he underwent an eight-hour aortic valve replacement operation.
In 2009, a cancerous growth was removed from the top of his head, and in April 2013, new fears were sparked, triggered by a shocking growth near the actor’s chin.
The quarter-sized lump to the left of his chin and a series of other bumps along his hairline worried fans, but Dick insisted that he was well.
“I’ve had skin cancer, but it’s alright,” he said at the time. “I’m doing fine.”
His son Jimmy Van Patten, 57, told The National ENQUIRER then: “Dad’s been having growths cut off his face and head for 15 years.
“It’s not life threatening, and it’s no great cause for alarm.”
