LISTEN LIVE

Fred Toucher returns to the airwaves after health scare

Fred Toucher, co-host of Toucher & Rich on 98.5 The Sports Hub, returned to the airwaves this morning after a prolonged leave of absence to receive medical attention for a…

fred

Fred Toucher, co-host of Toucher & Rich on 98.5 The Sports Hub, returned to the airwaves this morning after a prolonged leave of absence to receive medical attention for a throat problem.

“I have two pieces of advice: Do not smoke and get a second opinion. “

Fred Toucher

Fred Toucher at the Wilbur Theatre

“They thought that I had cancer. If you saw pictures of the original thing they took of my throat, there was a big lump on my vocal cord, like a big lump. I wasn't supposed to talk for two weeks. And now it just turns out to be Leukoplakia.”

According to the Mayo Clinic, causes of leukoplakia are not totally known, but chronic irritation, such as from tobacco use, including smoking and chewing, appears to be responsible for most cases. Often, regular users of smokeless tobacco products eventually develop leukoplakia where they hold the tobacco against their cheeks.

Fred Toucher

Fred Toucher at the old Sports Hub studios in Brighton, MA (Credit: NBC Sports Boston)

Prior to their tenure at Boston's rock station WBCN in 2006, Fred and co-host Rich Shertenlieb worked together in Atlanta. Following the end of BCN, they transitioned to The Sports Hub when it was launched in August 2009.

LISTEN TO THIS MORNING'S OPENING SEGMENT

8AM SEGMENT

Nick Gemelli is a Producer for the Toucher and Rich program and contributor for 985thesportshub.com. you can follow Nick at @NickGemelli on Twitter.

Follow @Toucherandrich on Twitter, @Toucherandrichofficial and @fredtoucher on Instagram to keep up with the show!

Nick Gemelli, the wizard behind the scenes at Toucher & Hardy and a maestro on 985thesportshub.com, kicked off his radio escapade back in 2007 as an intern for Toucher & Rich on WBCN. After navigating through WFNX and the Boston Phoenix, he made a triumphant return to the show in 2016. Hailing from Marshfield but currently holding it down in Tewksbury, Nick’s radio journey is as dynamic as his Twitter feed. Nick writes about what happens on the Toucher & Hardy Show and Boston area lifestyle content.