Former Denver Broncos running back and Super Bowl 50 champion Ronnie Hillman (31) died early Thursday morning of a rare kidney cancer that mainly affects young black men.
Renal medullary carcinoma (RMC) is a type of cancer most common in people between the ages of 10 and 40 – a form of the disease for which younger people are at greater risk. It is one of the most aggressive forms of kidney cancer.
About 80,000 Americans are diagnosed each year and it is the cause of 14,000 American deaths. It has a median survival rate of just four months after diagnosis, making it one of the deadliest cancers.
It almost exclusively affects people born with the sickle cell trait — a gene mutation carried by up to 3 million Americans. Black Americans are most at risk, with up to 10 percent of the population in the demographic group affected.
Mr. Hillman was diagnosed with the disease in August. He was treated, but his family said it was unsuccessful.
Former Denver Broncos running back Ronnie Hillman died Wednesday at the age of 31 after being admitted to hospice earlier this week with a rare form of kidney cancer.
“It is with a heavy heart that we announce the passing of our beloved son, brother and father, Ronnie K Hillman Jr.,” reads the quarterback’s Instagram post.
“Ronnie passed away peacefully today surrounded by family and close friends.”
The running back was designed by the Broncos in 2012 and has been in use for the team for four years. In 2016, he won a Super Bowl with the organization.
He had brief stints with the Minnesota Vikings, San Diego Chargers and Dallas Cowboys before retiring from professional football in 2017.
Mr. Hillman’s family said he was hospitalized Tuesday with complications from his cancer and pneumonia.
Denver Broncos quarterback Ronnie Hillman (23) runs for a touchdown in the fourth quarter against the Los Angeles Rams on Aug. 27, 2016.
The Broncos issued a team statement Thursday following Hillman’s death Wednesday
A 2014 report by researchers at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center explains that RMC primarily affects young black men — who are twice as likely to develop the disease.
A 2017 report by Turkish researchers described this as a “very poor prognosis”.
It almost exclusively affects people born with crescent-shaped red blood cells.
This genetic mutation – which occurs in up to 1 percent of Americans, but 10 percent of black Americans.
It occurs when a person has a copy of the sickle cell trait from their parents. This is different from the dangerous sickle cell disease, where a person has acquired the mutation from both parents.
While the sickle cell trait is harmless in itself, it puts those who carry it at great risk.
Snoop Dogg leads an outburst of grief after Hillman’s death
“Heaven gained an angel today,” Snoop Dog wrote
However, complications can occur throughout life, such as B. muscle breakdown, reduced blood flow to the spleen – damage to the organ – and glaucoma.
The most dangerous condition often associated with sickle cell trait is RMC.
Exactly why the condition develops is unclear. Although the sickle cell trait seems to explain why it affects black people more, scientists have not determined why it mainly affects young black men.
The median age of diagnosis is 27, with cases in people over 35 being particularly rare.
Cancer risk often increases with age, making RMC a rarity among these types of diseases.
Also, unlike other types of cancer, there are no genetic risks to developing the cancer.
A person who carries the sickle cell trait is equally likely to have the disease regardless of whether a parent also developed it.
Kidney cancer can kill those who suffer from it quickly, and experts urge a person to seek medical help immediately after symptoms appear.
Early symptoms include blood in the urine and pain around the kidney. Over time, some will feel a mass forming in their abdomen, lose weight and develop night sweats.
In most cases, the cancer first develops in a person’s right kidney.
In 95 percent of cases, the malignant tumor spreads to other parts of the body shortly after diagnosis.
Cancer that has spread – called metastasis – is more difficult to treat because it now affects an even larger area of the body. Metastases occur in 90 percent of deaths.
The malignant growths usually spread to a person’s lungs, liver, lymph nodes – in the neck and armpit – and endocrine glands.
It is usually treated with chemotherapy and radiation therapy.
Source link
Crystal Leahy is an author and health journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a background in health and wellness, Crystal has a passion for helping people live their best lives through healthy habits and lifestyles.
