Dwayne Wade’s Cancer Journey

On January 30, 2025, NBA Hall of Famer Dwyane Wade took to social media to share the news of his kidney cancer diagnosis from December 2023. He was 41 when he first experienced suspicious symptoms, which compelled him to seek medical attention, ultimately leading to his diagnosis. Kidney cancer, which is a kind of genitourinary (GU) cancer, is rare among those under 45.

He has since undergone surgery to remove the tumor and is now cancer-free. Here is what we know about Wade’s battle with the disease.

Wade’s father was diagnosed with prostate cancer, another kind of GU cancer, a few years before Wade’s own diagnosis. During his father’s cancer journey, the basketball legend learned that his grandfather, too, had been diagnosed with prostate cancer. Knowing this about his family history with cancer compelled Wade to visit the doctor for a check-up soon after he began to experience suspicious symptoms, including stomach discomfort and trouble urinating.

“I didn’t go in for my kidney,” Wade shared in a 2025 interview with Marc Lacey of The New York Times. “I was going in because my dad had prostate cancer.”

Imaging tests done as part of the check-up indicated a mass on Wade’s right kidney. However, his healthcare team could not discern whether the mass was cancerous unless he underwent surgery. Wade recalled feeling fearful for the first time upon hearing the news.

“That’s when I knew that it was really serious,” he told Jenna Bush Hager during an interview on the Today show. “You start thinking about everything. You start thinking about not coming out of it.”

Wade did ultimately decide to undergo surgery, during which the doctors removed 40% of his kidney, and diagnosed him with stage 1 kidney cancer. However, he did not need to undergo further treatment.

Kidney cancer is one of the ten most common cancers in the United States, according to statistics by the American Cancer Society. The 5-year relative survival for kidney cancer is 93% in localized cases, 76% in regional cases, and 19% in distant cases of the disease. Fortunately, nearly two-thirds of kidney cancers are diagnosed early, thereby allowing for curative treatment and favourable prognoses.

However, most patients with early-stage kidney cancer experience little to no obvious symptoms of the disease. This causes the cancer to remain undetected until it is discovered during unrelated medical tests or health screenings, as was the case for Wade.

The lack of awareness surrounding kidney cancer detection is exacerbated by the dearth of national screening guidelines for patients, as noted by Brandon Manley, MD, a genitourinary oncology surgeon at Moffitt Cancer Center.

Wade, who officially retired after the 2018-19 season, hopes that his story will raise awareness regarding kidney cancer detection and diagnosis. “It’s my story, a reminder to face your fears, prioritize your health, and get checked.”