Cameron Mathison, 50, who starred as Ryan Lavery on the soap opera "All My Children" for many years, has just revealed that he’s undergone surgery for his kidney cancer, his tumor is gone, and he is back home to recover.
Mathison first announced he has kidney cancer a week ago on The Hallmark Network, and then announced the diagnosis on Instagram. Clearly, he and his doctors have moved quickly to into treatment. In a new Instagram post, Mathison said that he had a “partial nephrectomy,” which means that doctors removed part of his kidney, in order to treat this disease.
Read MoreMathison said his surgery was performed at USC, which is a major, high volume cancer center in Los Angeles.
And his supporters commented their praise of his attitude, and sent their love his way, “You are a WARRIOR! We are here for you every step of the way [hearts] sending love and light and strength.”
“Aw how sweet is this? You’ll be back to normal in no time, Cameron. Blessings, love, speedy healing, & loads of prayers & good thoughts sent your way! Always!”
Mathison also posted a photo of himself in a hospital bed with his two kids on either side of him, holding his hands. He expressed his gratitude for their love and support, “Feeling loved and supported by my family and friends, including each and everyone of you. I've been very overwhelmed and so grateful for all of the supportive comments and prayers.”
And offered a few more details as to the details of his surgery, “The surgery went very well. The tumor is gone and I even got to keep 80% of my kidney[smile emoji] We are all optimistic. Keep you updated. So grateful for all of you [heart emoji].”
Supporters responded by offering words of kindness and hope, “That is awesome news so glad to hear keep positive and hope you have a speedy recover and your not in to much discomfort [heart].”
“I’m so thankful your surgery went well. I’m continuing to pray for a speedy recovery. I’ve just started watching the Hallmark channel and love seeing you in each and everyone of the movies. God bless you!! [hearts]”
Mathison’s cancer journey
After announcing his diagnosis on TV, Mathison wrote an emotional Instagram post to let his followers know what was happening with his health.
“I have a health situation that I want to share with you all [prayer emoji]. There are many reasons I love social media, staying connected with you all, sharing fun experiences… well this time I'm asking for your help,” he wrote in an emotional Instagram post alongside a photo of him with his wife, Vanessa, and two children, Leila and Lucas.
“About a month ago, I had an MRI for some gut issues I've been having, and during that MRI they found a tumor on my right kidney,” the post continues. “It's consistent with Renal Cell Carcinoma … or kidney cancer.”
Mathison goes on to explain that there are positives, and that his diagnosis could be worse if it weren’t for a few factors, “The good news is that it hasn't spread to any other organs [prayer emoji]. They say my healthy lifestyle and diet has no doubt helped keep it from growing and spreading to other areas, as doctors think it's been growing in me for minimum 10 years [prayer emoji].”
He expressed his gratitude to a friend who has helped him through the process of being diagnosed, “I am extremely lucky that we found it early. Thank you to my longtime friend and urologist @jon_giddens who has helped me tremendously through this process.”
And said that his entire family is there for him, “Vanessa, Lucas and Leila have been absolutely amazing with their love and support… as have my mom, dad, brother, and everyone at Home and Family, Hallmark, and ET[heart]”
He gave a little information about next steps, “My surgery is scheduled on September 12th,” and asked for kind words from his fans on social media, “I was hoping to receive positive thoughts, prayers, or whatever you feel comfortable with, on 9/12 (my surgery is at 1pm PST) [prayer emoji].”
He posted on social media just to make sure all of his supporters are updated, “I announced this on @homeandfamilytv yesterday, and wanted to make sure I posted about it here as well,”
And said he’s doing okay emotionally for the time being, “Feeling very grateful and optimistic!! [strong arm, prayer, heart emojis]. #thankyou yes.”
Mathison’s supporters were quick to express their love and let his know they were there for him, “Sending lots of love, thoughts and prayers your way. [heart] You got this!!”
One talked about going through cancer herself and offered inspiring words, “Cam, been there done that… and YOU will be saying that soon. You will come thru this stronger, better and more connected to your family than you ever thought possible. You have been in my constant prayers and God will carry you like he did me. [prayer emoji].”
And another called Mathison a “warrior,” writing “You're a true warrior and I love you so much. You're so amazing to share this too. You are SO LOVED, beyond, and you GOT THIS my friend [hearts] Sending love to you and the whole family.”
Information and treatment options for kidney cancer
Kidney cancer can develop in adults or children. There are two main types of kidney cancer that occur in adults: renal cell cancer, and transitional cell cancer, according to the National Cancer Institute.
Renal cell cancer is a disease in which malignant (cancer) cells form in tubules of the kidney. Smoking and misuse of certain pain medicines can affect the risk of renal cell cancer. 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 for renal cell kidney cancer usually includes some combination surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and targeted therapy.
For renal cell cancer, surgery is a common treatment practice. Types of surgery include:
- Partial nephrectomy, a procedure to remove the cancer within the kidney and some of the tissue around it.
- A partial nephrectomy may be done to prevent loss of kidney function when the other kidney is damaged or has already been removed.
- Simple nephrectomy, a surgical procedure to remove the kidney only.
- Radical nephrectomy, a surgical procedure to remove the kidney, the adrenal gland, surrounding tissue, and, usually, nearby lymph nodes.
Transitional cell cancer of the renal pelvis and ureter is a disease in which malignant (cancer) cells form in the renal pelvis and ureter. A personal history of bladder cancer and smoking can affect the risk of transitional cell cancer of the renal pelvis and ureter. Signs and symptoms of transitional cell cancer of the renal pelvis and ureter include blood in the urine and back pain.
Kidney and renal cell pelvic cancers make up about 4.2 percent of all new cancer cases per year in the U.S., with and estimated 73,820 in 2019. 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.
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