The short answer
Tony Gwynn, the San Diego Padres legend, was diagnosed in 2010 with cancer of the parotid gland, a rare salivary gland cancer. He had surgery, but the cancer returned and he died in June 2014 at age 54. He believed his decades of smokeless tobacco use were to blame.
Tony Gwynn was diagnosed in 2010 with cancer of the parotid gland, a salivary gland in the cheek.
He noticed a lump inside his right cheek; surgery removed the tumor and nearby lymph nodes.
The surgery affected the nerves in his face, and the cancer later returned to the same area.
Gwynn died on June 16, 2014, at age 54, from complications of the cancer.
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The full explanation.
Who he was
Tony Gwynn was one of the greatest pure hitters baseball has ever seen. Nicknamed "Mr. Padre," he spent his entire 20-year career with the San Diego Padres, won eight National League batting titles, and was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2007. Beloved for his warmth as much as his swing, Gwynn later coached college baseball at San Diego State. In his final years he faced a rare and difficult cancer, and he spoke openly about what he believed had caused it.
The diagnosis
In the summer of 2010, Gwynn noticed a lump growing from a small space inside his right cheek. It turned out to be a malignant tumor in his parotid gland, the largest of the salivary glands. Salivary gland cancers like this are uncommon, and they often first show up exactly as Gwynn's did: as a lump you can feel near the jaw, cheek, or ear.
The story
Surgeons removed most of the tumor along with nearby lymph nodes. The operation was extensive, and it damaged nerves in Gwynn's face, leaving him unable to fully smile or close his right eye. For a time after treatment, the cancer appeared to be gone. But in the winter of 2012 it returned, to the very same spot, and Gwynn underwent further treatment.
Throughout his illness, Gwynn was outspoken about what he believed was the cause. For more than three decades he had used smokeless tobacco, tucking dip into the same cheek where his tumor grew, and he was convinced the two were connected. His doctors were more careful, pointing out that no single, proven cause of parotid gland cancer has been identified. Both things can be true: the specific cause in one person is often impossible to pin down, even as smokeless tobacco remains a well-established cause of several mouth and throat cancers. Gwynn died on June 16, 2014, at age 54.
What his story teaches
Gwynn's cancer is a reminder that not all cancers announce themselves with dramatic symptoms — sometimes the first and only clue is a lump that will not go away. A new or growing lump near the jaw, cheek, mouth, or neck is always worth having a doctor check, and paying attention to warning signs like these is one of the simplest things anyone can do. Dentists and doctors can also spot problems in the mouth early, which is part of what oral cancer checks are for.
His story also carries a prevention message he wanted people to hear. Whether or not smokeless tobacco caused his particular cancer, it is a proven cause of cancers of the mouth and throat, and Gwynn spent his final years urging young players to put the dip down. Avoiding tobacco in every form remains one of the clearest ways to lower cancer risk.
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The bottom line
Tony Gwynn's cancer began as a lump in his cheek, was treated with surgery, and ultimately took his life at 54 after it returned. He turned his diagnosis into a warning about smokeless tobacco — a habit he blamed and wanted the next generation of players to avoid — and a reminder that a stubborn lump is always worth checking.
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Words to know
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Common questions
▸What kind of cancer did Tony Gwynn have?
Gwynn had cancer of the parotid gland, the largest of the salivary glands, located near the jaw and cheek. Salivary gland cancers are rare, and Gwynn's began as a lump he could feel inside his right cheek.
▸Was his cancer caused by chewing tobacco?
Gwynn himself was convinced that decades of using smokeless (chewing) tobacco caused his cancer, and his tumor grew in the same spot where he held the dip. Doctors have been more cautious, noting that no single, proven cause of parotid gland cancer has been identified. Smokeless tobacco is a known cause of several mouth and throat cancers, so his concern was reasonable even if the link in his specific case cannot be certain.
▸How was Tony Gwynn treated?
He had surgery to remove the tumor and nearby lymph nodes. The operation damaged nerves in his face, affecting his ability to smile and close his right eye. After treatment the cancer initially appeared gone, but it returned to the same area, and he underwent further treatment.
▸How old was Tony Gwynn when he died?
He died on June 16, 2014, at age 54, from complications related to the salivary gland cancer.
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