In the Face of Stage 4 Kidney Cancer, ‘3 Doors Down’ Singer Brad Arnold, 46, Is Still Smiling While Celebrating His 16th Wedding Anniversary

Brad Arnold, lead singer of the rock band “3 Doors Down,” recently marked 16 years of marriage with his wife, Jennifer—a milestone made even more poignant by his ongoing battle with stage 4 kidney cancer.

“How does time go by so fast?” Arnold, 46, wrote in a heartfelt Instagram post. “You’ve been a part of my life forever, but you’ve made the last 16 the best 16 years so far.”

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Jennifer has remained a steady presence by his side, especially since his diagnosis turned their world upside down.

In her own touching tribute on his birthday, she shared the depth of her love and admiration: “I don’t even have words to express how perfect you are. My life has been more than I could have ever imagined with you by my side. Thank you for showing me what true Love feels like.”

 

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Kidney cancer affects tens of thousands of Americans each year—an estimated 81,610 new cases are expected in 2025, according to the National Cancer Institute. The disease can develop in both adults and children, and early symptoms are often subtle or absent. Common signs may include blood in the urine, fatigue, weight loss, persistent fever, and lower back pain on one side.

Arnold first shared his diagnosis publicly this past spring, revealing in an Instagram video that the cancer had spread to his lung. He also announced the cancellation of upcoming performances to prioritize his health and healing.

 

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Despite the challenges, Arnold remains grounded in faith. “We serve a mighty God, and he can overcome anything. So I have no fear,” he said.

Faith plays a powerful role in the lives of many cancer patients. A study published in Cancer found that 69% of those diagnosed with cancer reported praying for their health, significantly higher than the general U.S. population.

Using Faith as a Tool for Healing

Cancer psychologist Dr. Andrew Kneier helped co-author “Coping with Cancer: Ten Steps toward Emotional Well-Being.” He also co-authored a column published by Stanford Medicine with Rabbi Jeffery M. Silberman, director of spiritual care at Danbury Hospital in Connecticut.

Together, they emphasize the deep emotional and psychological support that faith provides to those battling illness.

According to Kneier and Silberman, spirituality offers a powerful coping mechanism, helping individuals navigate the uncertainty that comes with a cancer diagnosis.

WATCH: SurvivorNetTV Presents: ‘SN & You Turning To Faith’

“A person’s faith or spirituality provides a means for coping with illness and reaching a deeper kind of inner healing,” they explain.

Faith helps patients in multiple ways, including:

• Seeking answers to the difficult questions illness presents.
• Finding comfort in the midst of fear and pain.
• Gaining a sense of direction during an overwhelming and uncertain time.

Religious teachings, they argue, can serve as a guidepost, offering strength and resilience when navigating the emotional and physical challenges of cancer.

WATCH: Three-time cancer survivor shares how her faith helped her during cancer.

New York City Presbyterian Pastor Tom Evans tells SurvivorNet about the importance of finding ways to cope with the complex web of feelings you may be experiencing after a challenging health diagnosis, such as cancer.

“It’s important to reach out in a simple prayer to God, even if you’ve never prayed before, you don’t know what to say, a heartfelt plea, ‘God, help me, be with me,’” Pastor Evans told SurvivorNet.

“You can reach out to God, and you can reach out to people, your friends and family, and say, ‘I can’t do this on my own. I need you.’ “It’s in that willingness to be open and to receive that we can find something deeper that we never would’ve encountered without this hardship,” Evans continued.

Supporting a Loved One Facing a Health Challenge

Research published in The Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine studied the impact of disease on family members. It found, “Most chronic diseases have similar effects on family members, including psychological and emotional functioning, disruption of leisure activities, effect on interpersonal relationships, and financial resources.”

If you have a loved one fighting a disease or cancer, SurvivorNet has some ideas to help you better support your loved one. Simple tasks like helping with household chores or running errands can do wonders for your loved one who’s diagnosed.

These tasks can make all the difference in relieving stress when the effect of chemotherapy brings on fatigue, for example. Other ideas to help your loved one battling cancer include cooking, bringing prepared meals, or doing an activity you enjoy together.

The support helps put your loved one battling a disease or cancer more at ease, as they may be overwhelmed with anxiety after a diagnosis or during intense treatment.

“There are a number of common things cancer patients can experience,” Dr. Shelly Tworoger, a researcher at Moffitt Cancer Center, told SurvivorNet.

“Anxiety, depression, financial toxicity, social isolation, and PTSD,” Dr. Tworoger said, are all emotions cancer warriors may experience and can be eased by loved ones.

If you are a caregiver of your loved one facing a diagnosis, it is important to maintain your mental and physical health.

“Caregiving is the most important job in the universe because you are there through the highs and lows,” Julie Bulger, manager of patient and family-centered care at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, told SurvivorNet.

Caregivers must also watch out for “caregiver burnout,” where stress, anger, fatigue, and illness emerge from putting another person’s needs ahead of their own.

Caregivers who struggle to care for a cancer warrior should seek out a therapist or a support group, either online or in person.

How To Help A Partner Diagnosed With Cancer

After a cancer diagnosis, it’s natural for spouses to grapple with a whirlwind of emotions — anger, grief, anxiety, and beyond. The journey ahead can feel overwhelming, but it’s important to remember that a cancer diagnosis is not a death sentence. There are strategies to navigate uncertainty, find support, and face challenges with resilience.

Some popular approaches, backed by research and many anecdotal accounts, include:

• Talking to a therapist to share feelings you’re going through
• Having candid conversations with your loved one about the diagnosis
• Researching the disease together to learn about available treatment options
• Joining a support group or connecting with others who have gone through, or are going through, the same experience

WATCH: Glenn Torchia talks about how he was there for his wife, Millie, while she battled stage 4 lung cancer

Your Role As A Caregiver

SurvivorNet has spoken with a collection of expert oncologists, social workers, and patient advocates to provide a helpful list of how cancer caregivers can help throughout the treatment journey and beyond.

Attend Doctor Visits

Throughout the treatment process, there will be many occasions when the patient receives a large amount of information at once. As a caregiver, attending as many doctor visits as possible can be a huge help. This allows you to take notes on treatment options, protocols, lifestyle changes that may be needed, and more.

Connect With a Social Worker or Patient Navigator

Ask for the patient’s medical team to connect you with a patient navigator or social worker. Many hospitals and cancer centers have specialized staff available to connect you with additional resources, which may include arranging transportation to and from doctor appointments, assisting with insurance claims, and more.

WATCH: How Patient Navigators Can Help

“Patient navigators can function differently at different hospitals,” Dr. Kathie-Ann Joseph, a surgical oncologist at NYU Langone Health’s Perlmutter Cancer Center, told SurvivorNet.

“We have a really wonderful program at [NYU] where we use lay navigators, meaning they’re not nurses — although you can use nurses or social workers, that pretty much help newly diagnosed cancer patients through the continuum of care,” Dr. Joseph added.

Additional services patient navigators may provide include:

• Attending future appointments with you
• Providing an assessment for the next steps of care
• Assisting with housing, transportation, or immigration issues
• Helping with financial issues
• Providing direction on legal issues

Help the Patient Keep Track of Their Symptoms

As mind-boggling as a cancer diagnosis can be for a spouse or loved one, it’s likely more stressful for the patient.

Sometimes, it is easier for the caregiver to monitor the patient’s symptoms than for the patient. Try to maintain an open line of communication and encourage your loved one to share their feelings regularly to help monitor symptoms.

Let the Patient Speak for Themselves Whenever Possible

As a caregiver, your role is to be the best advocate possible for the patient. While assisting them with various tasks, it is essential to allow them to maintain a sense of independence whenever possible. Cancer caregivers can help keep track of symptoms, navigate finances, and even emotions — but they should also let the person they are caring for speak up about what they genuinely need throughout the process.

“Some of the best examples that I have seen in caregivers are those spouses or loved ones who really, almost sit back and they allow the patient, or they want the patient to express what the patient feels first, rather than barging in,” gynecologic oncologist Dr. Jayanthi Lea told SurvivorNet.

“…Step back a little bit and let the patient speak for themselves. Let them express what they are feeling. That is so important for the patient’s overall quality of life and well-being,” Dr. Lea added.

Kidney Cancer Symptoms and Treatment

In the early stages, kidney cancer may not cause noticeable symptoms. However, what a patient experiences can differ widely depending on the tumor’s type, size, and location. Below are some potential symptoms and side effects that individuals with kidney cancer might encounter:

• Blood in the urine
• Lower back pain on one side
• Tiredness and fatigue
• Weight loss
• Reduced appetite
• Lumps or growths on the lower back or the side
• High temperature and fever that doesn’t seem to go away
• Anemia: low counts of red blood cells

Surgery is often the primary approach for treating kidney tumors, with the goal of fully removing the cancer. However, this option is typically considered when the tumor is still localized—meaning it’s a manageable size and hasn’t spread (metastasized) to other parts of the body. There are several types of surgical procedures used to treat kidney cancer, including:

• Radical nephrectomy
• Partial nephrectomy
• Cytoreductive nephrectomy
• Laparoscopic and robotic surgery
• Mastectomy

Treatment Options for Kidney Cancer: What You Should Know

Kidney cancer can be treated through a range of approaches—each designed to target cancer cells in different ways. Your care team will help determine the best path forward based on your diagnosis, overall health, and personal preferences. Here’s a breakdown of key treatment options:

• Radiofrequency Ablation (RFA): This minimally invasive procedure uses a needle inserted directly into the tumor. Electric currents and radiofrequency waves heat and destroy the cancerous tissue from within.
• Cryoablation: In this technique, extremely cold probes are placed into the tumor to freeze and kill cancer cells. It’s often used for small tumors or patients who aren’t candidates for surgery.
• Chemotherapy: Chemotherapy uses powerful medications to stop cancer cells from growing, dividing, or surviving. While kidney cancer is often resistant to traditional chemotherapy, certain drugs may be used in specific cases or in combination with other therapies.
• Radiation Therapy: High-energy particles or waves are used to damage and destroy cancer cells. The two main types are:
  External Beam Radiation: Delivered from outside the body, targeting the tumor with precision.
  Internal Radiation (Brachytherapy): Places radioactive material directly inside or near the tumor.
• Immunotherapy: This innovative approach activates your immune system to better detect and attack cancer cells. Treatments like immune checkpoint inhibitors help the body overcome cancer’s defenses and mount a stronger response.
• Targeted Therapy: These drugs zero in on specific genes or proteins that fuel cancer growth. One notable example is belzutifan (Welireg), approved by the FDA in August 2021 for patients with Von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) disease-related kidney cancers. Belzutifan blocks a protein called HIF-2α, which normally supplies oxygen and nutrients to cancer cells—cutting off this pathway can shrink tumors significantly.
• Combination Therapy: In many cases, doctors may recommend a blend of treatments—such as immunotherapy paired with targeted therapy—to increase effectiveness and tailor care to your unique needs.

A Note on Side Effects and Shared Decision-Making

While these treatments offer hope, they can also come with side effects that impact your body and daily life. That’s why it’s essential to have open, honest conversations with your doctor. Together, you can weigh the risks and benefits, explore supportive care options, and choose a treatment plan that aligns with your values and goals.

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