Dwyane Wade shares he had a cancerous tumor removed from his kidney
Dwyane Wade is opening up about a personal health update.
In a clip of the latest episode of his podcast "The Why with Dwyane Wade" shared by People on Thursday, the NBA legend revealed that he underwent surgery to remove a cancerous tumor from his kidney in late 2023.
Wade said he first decided to see a doctor after noticing some changes in his urination.
"On the process of checking, like, 'Why is my piss coming out slow, why is my stream ain't powerful? Why is it a little weak?'" Wade recalled while speaking to his podcast co-host Bob Metelus.
The concern led him to undergo a full-body scan, which he said ultimately revealed something unexpected.
"Because I did the full body scan, they were able to see my entire body, my entire insides, and they were able to see something that was on my kidney," he said.
Wade added that doctors saw a possible cyst or tumor and that surgery would be needed.
Wade said he sought multiple medical opinions to confirm the diagnosis and ultimately decided to undergo surgery to remove the tumor, recognizing that, at 41, removing the cancerous growth was necessary to prevent it from spreading.
Wade had 40% of his right kidney removed during the surgery that took place on Dec. 18, 2023, according to People.
"Thank God that I did the surgery, right, because the tumor was cancerous," he added.
During the conversation, Wade also discussed his experience undergoing the surgery, calling it one of the most vulnerable moments of his life.
"I think it was the first time my family, my dad, my kids, they saw me weak," he explained. "That moment was probably the weakest point I've ever felt in my life. The moments that I was by myself, I was struggling, dog."
He continued, "As a man, you never want your family to see you weak. Don't want to be perceived weak, and you don't want to be seen in your weak moments, right? But I had to."
However, he said the experience has brought his family members together and their support became his source of strength.
"What I saw in the midst of that and me going through my illness, I saw my family, who may not always talk, may not always agree. I saw everybody show up for me and be there for me," he said. "And in that process of my weakness, I found strength in my family."
Wade shares two children Zaire and Zaya with his ex-wife Siovaughn Funches.
In addition to being a legal guardian to his nephew Dahveon Morris, Wade is also a father to his son, Xavier, whom he shares with Aja Metoyer.
In 2018, Wade and his wife, actress Gabrielle Union, welcomed their daughter, Kaavia James.
