BREAKING NEWSDwyane Wade Reveals 'Shocking' Cancer Diagnosis: NBA Star Had Nearly Half His Kidney Removed Due to Large Tumor
Dwyane Wade is getting candid about his battle with cancer.
Dwyane Wade privately dealt with difficult health woes for 13 months before revealing his cancer battle on Thursday, January 30.
During the latest episode of his podcast, titled "The Why With Dwyane Wade," the Hall of Fame basketball star, 43, admitted he had 40 percent of his right kidney removed more than one year ago after doctors discovered a cancerous tumor.
The basketball star had a cancerous tumor removed from his kidney in December 2023.
This was Wade's first time speaking publicly about the "shocking" diagnosis, which was found after the NBA alum put off going to the doctor for a physical for years.
Noting his father’s battle with prostate cancer, Wade decided to see a doctor after he began suffering from stomach issues, cramps and oddly slow urination.
Dwyane Wade had 40 percent of his right kidney removed.
"On the process of checking, like, 'Why is my [urine] coming out slow, why is my stream ain’t powerful? Why is it a little weak?'" the renowned athlete recalled while chatting about the situation with his podcast co-host, Bob Metelus.
After having a full-body scan, medical professionals informed Wade there was a "cyst/tumor" on one of his kidneys.
Dwyane Wade revealed his health woes publicly for the first time on Thursday, January 30.
"And the doctor was like, 'You need to have kidney surgery,'" he continued.
Wade received opinions from multiple other doctors, who all agreed with the diagnosis, prompting him to undergo surgery on December 18, 2023.
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During the procedure, surgeons removed nearly half of his kidney and determined the tumor was cancerous.
Wade didn’t provide any details about where his current state of health stands.
Reflecting on his experience handling his health, Wade said he was reminded of the importance of family.
"My own journey to have that surgery, I think it was the first time that my family, my dad, my kids, they saw me weak," he confessed. "That moment was probably the weakest point I’ve ever felt in my life."
Wade shared: "The moment I was by myself, I was struggling, dog."
"As a man, you never want your family to see you weak," he added. "Don’t want to be perceived weak, don’t want to be seen in your weakest moments but I had to."
Dwyane Wade is married to actress Gabrielle Union.
The retired basketball pro also discussed the process of deciding whether to have surgery.
"I had a personal decision to make, and what it was was, 'If this is cancerous, if this tumor, this cyst is cancerous, on your kidney, you’re 41 years old, you probably need surgery because it's something that needs to be removed so it doesn’t spread," he explained.
One blessing that came from Wade's health battle was seeing his blended family come together in support of their loved one.
"What I saw in the midst of me going through my illness, I saw my family that may not always talk, may not always agree. I saw everybody show up for me and be there for me and in that process, in my weakness I found strength in my family," he mentioned in reference to his kids Zaire, 22, and Zaya, 17, whom he shares with ex-wife Siovaughn Funches, his and Aja Metoyer's 11-year-old son, Xavier, 11, and his and wife Gabrielle Union's daughter, Kaavia James, 6.
Wade is also the legal guardian of his nephew, Dahveon Morris, 21.
