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 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 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!

Sign me up for the 98.5 The Sports Hub email newsletter!

Get the latest Boston sports news and analysis, plus exclusive on-demand content and special giveaways from Boston's Home for Sports, 98.5 The Sports Hub.

By clicking "Subscribe" I agree to the website's terms of Service and Privacy Policy. I understand I can unsubscribe at any time.