Cameron Mathison, a survivor of renal cell carcinoma, a type of kidney cancer, punches back in a stunning Instagram post that aims to bring awareness to the disease. Mathison has been an inspiration for many with his positive attitude throughout his journey, from his eagerness to create balance in his life and his embrace of pet therapy to the many ways he finds joy in his family.
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He also hopes people pay attention to signs that something may be wrong. “I spoke out about my cancer in hopes that people listen to their bodies, get checked out, and take preventive action,” he wrote.
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 was having “gut” issues, he explained, and went to see a doctor. The tumor was spotted during diagnostic imaging, and caught early. He then had laparoscopic surgery, according to a report in People.
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."
Information About Kidney Cancer
Kidney cancer, also known as renal cell 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 and 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, also according to the National Cancer Institute, usually includes some combination surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and targeted therapy.
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