“We caught it early,” DWade said in an interview with TODAY. In the last few years, he was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame, honored by the Miami Heat with a statue, got a new job at the Olympics, and so much more. These are all the happiest and brightest parts of his life. However, it was only recently that he revealed he had undergone surgery after a cancer diagnosis. This was shocking! But another surprising part is how he broke one long-held norm along with this!
After recently opening up about the situation, Dwyane Wade expressed how important early detection was. And that is when he broke the norm. In his recent interview, Wade was asked how he was able to detect the issue. While he mentioned that his father had prostate cancer, Wade also shared that he later found out his grandfather had prostate cancer as well. “In discovery I found out that my granddad also had prostate cancer,” he said. He emphasized how people aren’t open about sharing these details, which can cause issues for their family.
“In the black community a lot of things are not shared and no one talks about their health and a lot of us black men in the black community we don’t talk about health we don’t want to go to the doctor. We don’t want to know anything and that’s not the right way to think. But that’s the way we were conditioned to think and so what I did is I just went in and was like ‘hey my dad is dealing with this I now know that this is a part of my genetic gene I just want to get a full scan of my entire body and that’s kind of how it was eventually discovered,” Wade said.
Jan 14, 2024; Miami, Florida, USA; Former Miami Heat player Dwayne Wade salutes the fans and cameras after a special ceremony during halftime of the game between the Miami Heat and the Charlotte Hornets at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images
During his full-body checkup, it was revealed that there was a questionable mass in his kidney. However, it couldn’t be determined if it was cancerous. So, to avoid any complications in the future, his doctor suggested surgery to remove 40% of his kidney, and he agreed.
Dwyane Wade shared how the cancer diagnosis changed his view of his life
He had actually gone in to get his stomach and prostate checked as he said since his father and grandfather suffered from the same issue. He felt pain in his stomach and a weak urine stream. While he had minor symptoms, which he didn’t think much of earlier, they could have turned serious. And this is the reason why Wade has emphasized early detection so much.
“Thank God that we caught it early. This wasn’t something that was able to grow. It was about 3 centimeters on my kidney,” the Miami Heat legend said. The surgery itself was huge. During the interview, Wade opened up about how the diagnosis was a frightening experience but it urged him to think more about his present and live his life to the fullest. He underwent surgery in December, and his father and wife, Gabrielle Union, accompanied him. It was difficult for him, as he didn’t want his wife and children to see him weak. He started journaling and writing more about his goals and what he wants to do in the future. But now finally, he is ready to talk about it.
“I think being able to speak about it in an environment with other men that I know, a lot of us are not going to check ourselves out if we don’t feel nothing. If nothing is happening, we’re like, ‘We’re good.’ And I want us to get over that. I want us to grow from that,” Wade said. It helped him and this will encourage several other men as well as women to come forward to talk more about it.
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