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Cameron Mathison is opening up about his health journey, and what “saved” him.
During an interview with Digital at the 33rd Annual Movieguide Awards, the 56-year-old actor encouraged others to “pay attention to their body” when it comes to “digestion” and “energy,” adding “it definitely saved my life.”
“Don’t be a hypochondriac and start thinking everybody’s got cancer, but I was really diligent about testing and paying attention to my body, and it saved my life. It definitely saved my life,” he said. “So that’s my main takeaway from this: you get a little ache in your gut, don’t think all of a sudden you’ve got cancer. But over time, if you do testing and blood work and different things and things are off over time, like, get an MRI, check it out.”
The actor was diagnosed with renal cell carcinoma, a type of kidney cancer, in 2019. In an Instagram post shared on Tuesday, the actor announced that a recent scan showed that he is officially six years cancer free, noting “my kidney function is actually even better” and has “improved since last year.”
Mathison said paying attention to the changes in his body saved his life. (Jose Perez/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images)
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When speaking with Digital, Mathison explained that getting the cancer diagnosis changed how he ultimately viewed his health, saying, “I thought I was super healthy, but I wasn’t.”
“I learned things about my body and my natural genetic makeup that were off,” he explained. “Things like, I don’t detoxify very well. There are certain things that I have to be really aware of, so it really drove me to be more in-depth, a deeper, deeper dive on my health.”
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According to the Patient Resource website, Mathison discovered he had cancer after undergoing an MRI following years of gastrointestinal issues.
The MRI ultimately discovered a tumor in his kidney, but “it didn’t appear to have spread anywhere” and was not in his lymph nodes. He then underwent surgery which removed the tumor and 20 percent of his kidney.
Mathison was diagnosed with renal cell carcinoma in 2019. (Taylor Hill/FilmMagic)
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“Not everyone who is feeling off needs an MRI, but no one knows your body like you do. Pay attention to it, and keep track of it. If you’re burping or have a distended abdomen, your body is trying to tell you something. See your doctor. Get a second opinion,” he said on the site.
Mathison is known for his work on “All My Children” and “General Hospital.” He went on to become one of Hallmark Channel’s most recognizable leading men and is now a recognizable face in many Great American Family movies.
While at the Movieguide Awards, he told Digital how much it means to him to be able to star in these films, and “spreading goodness and positivity in the world,” adding that he wishes that his faith “had influenced my career decisions more” in his past.
“They influence my career decisions more now — decisions that I make now. But I’m 30 years into it, and I’ve made some bad decisions,” he said. “So now, to be able to be here and to host the show tonight — and this is my fourth or fifth — and be making these movies and spreading goodness and positivity in the world, I’m very grateful.”
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The Movieguide Awards are set to air in March. (Michael Tullberg/Getty Images)
The 33rd Annual Movieguide Awards are set to air on Great American Family on March 5 at 8 p.m. ET.
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