Nine months after kidney cancer surgery, actor Cameron Mathison is “cancer free and feeling stronger than I have in 20 years.” He’s launched his own health platform on Instagram and, as Father’s Day approaches, he’s feeling grateful for family. “Being a dad is the most wonderful thing in the world for me,” he told Digital Journal of children, Lucas and Leila.
Read More“Cancer Is Not Quarantined”
Mathison has championed the cancer community during the pandemic: “So many people have been affected by cancer in one way or another,” he said on Instagram, citing “slowed charitable giving to countless organizations,” and voicing his support for Gateway for Cancer Research, which funds clinical trials.His message must have worked: On May 30, Gateway for Cancer Research announced a $1.5 million grant for a pancreatic cancer study examining the use of a novel immunotherapy treatment protocol.
Dr. Anirban Maitra co-leader of the Pancreatic Cancer Moonshot at MD Anderson Cancer Center on the importance of early detection.
“Cancer patients are one of the most vulnerable populations,” Mathison notes. “but collective contributions from the worldwide community help ensure they can continue their important work and bring hope to people living with cancer today.”
Mathison also offers thoughts on quarantine: “Use this time to connect with family … There are things you can do with your family at home such as crafts. That’s a silver lining in all of this. Maintain social distancing, stay home, and stay careful. We don’t want this to spike back up.”
Mathison's Cancer Journey
In September 2019, Mathison, a former star of "All My Children," announced that he'd been diagnosed with kidney cancer. "I have a health situation that I want to share with you all," he posted in an emotional post on Instagram.
He went to the doctor after having "gut" issues, he explained. The tumor was spotted during diagnostic imaging and caught early. He then had laparoscopic surgery.
Days after the surgery, in another post, he wrote, "The tumor is gone and I even got to keep 80% of my kidney. We are all optimistic."
About Kidney Cancer
Also known as renal cell cancer, kidney cancer can develop in adults or children and occurs when malignant (cancer) cells form in tubules of the kidney, according to the National Cancer Institute.
Kidney and renal cell pelvic cancers make up about 4.2% of all new cancer cases per year in the U.S., with an estimated 73,820 in 2019, it says. These cancers account for about 2.4 percent of deaths from cancer in the U.S. with an estimated 14,770 deaths from this cancer in 2019. The five-year survival rate for kidney and renal pelvis cancer is about 74.5 percent.
Signs of renal cell cancer include blood in the urine and a lump in the abdomen. Other signs of the disease may include pain in the side that doesn't go away, loss of appetite, weight loss for no known reason, and anemia. Treatment may include a combination of surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and targeted therapy.
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