From the basketball court to the surgery table.

Dwyane Wade’s journey to remove a cancerous tumor is not for the faint-hearted, but the American former professional basketball player has told the tale.


What happened?

Miami Heat legend Dwyane Wade recently revealed in a podcast that he had a cancerous tumor and a large portion of his kidney surgically removed roughly a year ago.

Wade spoke at a wellness retreat recorded for "The Why with Dwyane Wade," where he said that he went a few years without an annual physical. However, his father's battle with prostate cancer led him to go for a full-body checkup. Wade added that he also had been dealing with cramps and urinary issues.

Once the scan was done, it revealed a tumor on his kidney that could only be tested by surgery.

After seeking opinions from multiple doctors, Wade opted for surgery in December 2023.

The surgery confirmed he had cancer and required the removal of part of his kidney.

Recalling that chapter of his life, Wade said, "Thank God that I did do the surgery because the tumor was cancerous, so I have one kidney and I have another kidney that is 60%. They took 40% of my kidney to make sure they could get all of the cancer off of it, because if it sits there on your kidney, it spreads and now they got to take more and more."

Wade also revealed that he had some questions regarding the process, and hence he spoke with fellow Heat great Alonzo Mourning, who underwent a successful kidney transplant during his career in 2003.


The recovery:

Describing his recovery as difficult, Wade found strength from his family and friends. In his words, "My own journey, to have that surgery, I think it was the first time my family, my dad, my kids, they saw me weak. That moment was probably the weakest point I've ever felt in my life. The moments that I was by myself, I didn't like. I was struggling. One thing you never want to do as a man, you never want your family to see you weak. It's tough. Don't want to be perceived weak and you don't want to be seen in your weak moments, but I had to. Fortunately for me, my family got in, they jumped in. I saw everybody show up for me and be there for me and in that process of my weakness, I found strength in my family, in my friends, in my group."

A year later now, Wade revealed that he was surprised to see how little physical care he needed in the months after the surgery. Although he remained in frequent communication with his doctor, he described one night in which he had to go to the bathroom multiple times and had to sleep on his left side because it felt like his organs were moving.

Wade also said he has undergone a biopsy on his prostate due to his family history.


The aftermath:

According to Wade, the whole process has given him a new perspective on life. In his words, "That moment I went through that, I told myself before I went under anesthesia, when I was like 'If I come out of this, if the Lord brings me out of this, I'm going to do things differently.' And I came out of that and I've been doing things differently. I've been attacking life. I'm not waiting."


What is Kidney cancer?

Kidney cancer is a type of cancer that starts in the kidney when cells grow out of control. The most common type of kidney cancer is renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Kidney cancer occurs when cells in the kidney develop abnormal genetic mutations that cause them to grow out of control. This creates a mass called a tumor that can invade and destroy healthy tissue.

Cause: The exact causes of kidney cancer are unknown. However, several risk factors lead to the disease.

Risk factors:

Smoking: Smoking tobacco increases the risk of kidney cancer, especially with long-term exposure.

Obesity: Excess body fat can lead to hormonal changes that increase the risk of kidney cancer.

High blood pressure: Also known as hypertension, high blood pressure increases the risk of kidney cancer.

Family history: Having a close relative with kidney cancer, especially a parent or sibling, increases the risk.

Inherited conditions: Certain genetic disorders, such as von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) syndrome, increase the risk of kidney cancer.

Exposure to chemicals: Exposure to certain chemicals, such as cadmium, herbicides, organic solvents, and welding fumes, may increase the risk of kidney cancer.

Exposure to radiation: Exposure to ionizing radiation, such as from radiotherapy, may increase the risk of kidney cancer.

Chronic kidney disease: Having chronic kidney disease or end-stage kidney disease increases the risk of kidney cancer.


Treatment: Kidney cancer can be treated with surgery, targeted drugs, radiation therapy, and other treatments. The treatment plan depends on the stage of the cancer, the patient's overall health, and other factors.

Surgery:

Partial nephrectomy: Removes the cancer and some surrounding tissue. This procedure can preserve kidney function.

Simple nephrectomy: Removes the entire kidney.

Radical nephrectomy: Removes the kidney, adrenal gland, surrounding tissue, and sometimes nearby lymph nodes.

Other treatments:

Thermal ablation: Uses heat from a needle to kill cancer cells.

Cryotherapy: Uses probes to freeze and kill cancer cells.

Stereotactic body radiation therapy: Uses targeted radiation to damage or destroy cancer cells.

Targeted drugs: Target the differences between cancer and normal cells.

Immunotherapy: Uses the immune system to fight cancer.