Expressing Gratitude During Your Cancer Journey
- Brad Arnold, the 46-year-old lead singer of “3 Doors Down,” is entering the new year grateful for more time with his wife as he continues treatment for stage 4 kidney cancer.
- Arnold first revealed his cancer had spread to his lung earlier this year and remains open about his ongoing treatment and determination to keep fighting.
- In the early stages, kidney cancer may not cause noticeable symptoms. However, what a patient experiences can differ widely, but blood in the urine, Lower back pain on one side, and fatigue are known symptoms.
- Though surgery is often the primary approach for treating kidney tumors, SurvivorNet experts say a range of treatment approaches exist based on the specifics of the diagnosis, including chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and immunotherapy.
- Keytruda, an immunotherapy drug approved for certain kidney cancers, was supported by the KEYNOTE‑564 trial, which aimed to determine whether the treatment could help prevent the disease from returning, according to study lead Dr. Toni Choueiri.
Kidney cancer affects tens of thousands of Americans each year. The National Cancer Institute estimates more than 81,000 new cases will be diagnosed in 2025. Early signs can be subtle or nonexistent, but may include blood in the urine, fatigue, weight loss, persistent fever, or pain on one side of the lower back.
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“Be strong, Brad. May God heal and bless you,” one supporter wrote. “Your songs have brought us so much joy.”
Another added, “Not a day goes by that I don’t think about him… I get so happy when he shows up.”
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Arnold first revealed his diagnosis in the spring, explaining that he had been sick for some time before learning he had advanced kidney cancer. In an Instagram video, he shared that the cancer had spread to his lung, adding, “We serve a mighty God, and he can overcome anything.”
The musician has spoken openly about the role his faith plays in his cancer journey.
Research shows that many patients lean on spirituality during treatment; one study published in Cancer found that 69% of people diagnosed with cancer reported praying for their health—far higher than the general U.S. population.
Coping With a Diagnosis
Turning to Faith to Help Lift Your Spirits During Treatment
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.
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.
WATCH: Immunotherapy Needs to be Tailored
The Immunotherapy Offering Kidney Cancer Patients Hope
The immunotherapy drug Keytruda is approved to treat some types of kidney cancer. Immunotherapy is a powerful cancer treatment option that uses the patient’s own immune cells to fight the cancer after a bit of reengineering in a lab. The drug’s approval stemmed from the KEYNOTE-564 trial.
“The goal (of the study) was to see if (the drug) can prevent kidney cancer coming back,” Dr. Toni Choueiri, director of the Lank Center for Genitourinary Oncology at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and lead author of the study, tells SurvivorNet. (The study itself was supported by pharmaceutical company Merck & Co. and conceived by Dr. Choueiri and some co-authors.)
Keytruda was approved for the adjuvant treatment (additional cancer treatment given after the primary treatment) of patients with renal cell carcinoma at an intermediate-high or high risk of recurrence following nephrectomy, or following nephrectomy and resection (removal) of metastatic lesions.
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.
What to Know About Von Hippel-Lindau Syndrome
According to the American Society of Clinical Oncology, Von Hippel-Lindau Syndrome (VHL) has been linked to the onset of many types of benign and malignant tumors, including a 60% risk of getting kidney cancer.
VHL is a rare genetic condition that happens as a result of VHL gene impairment (either gene deletion or mutation) and can cause several types of tumors to grow in different areas of the body. These tumors can be benign or malignant.
Questions For Your Doctor
If you are faced with kidney cancer or you are caring for a loved one who is, here are some questions you can ask your care team to ensure you are getting the best treatment possible.
- What treatment options are available for my specific type and stage of kidney cancer, and how do they differ?
- What are the potential benefits and risks of each treatment, including surgery, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy?
- How will treatment affect my daily life?
- Are there clinical trials that might be appropriate for my situation?
- How will we monitor whether the treatment is working, and what are the next steps if it isn’t?
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