Life After Cancer Means New Beginnings for Cameron Mathison & His Family
- “General Hospital” star Cameron Mathison, 54, and longtime wife Vanessa of 22 years are separating. Although the couple didn’t reveal intimate details behind their split, they intend to remain friends as they share two children.
- During Mathison’s cancer journey, he credited Vanessa for supporting him. They admitted one of the most challenging moments during the journey was sharing the diagnosis with their teenage children.
- Mathison was diagnosed with renal cell carcinoma, a type of kidney cancer, in 2019. According to the National Cancer Institute, common symptoms of kidney cancer include blood in the urine, persistent pain in your side, unexplained weight loss, or a lump in your abdomen.
- Research published in The Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine studied the psychological impact of disease on family members. It found that “Most chronic diseases have similar effects on family members [as they do on the patient], including psychological and emotional functioning, disruption of leisure activities, effect on interpersonal relationships, and financial resources.”
“General Hospital” actor Cameron Mathison’s family life is entering a new chapter because, after more than two decades of marriage to his wife, Vanessa, the couple is splitting.
The couple has dealt with life-altering experiences before, notably Cameron’s kidney cancer diagnosis five years ago. Vanessa was among the first people he called, and she offered her unyielding support.
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While details behind the Mathison’s separation remain unclear, Cameron says Vanessa was incredibly helpful as he battled kidney cancer.
“I didn’t want the kids to know yet because, at that point, I didn’t have much information. All I knew was that it was cancer, but I didn’t know how serious it was,” Cameron told Patient Resource during an interview.
The soap opera actor added that after his diagnosis, Vanessa told him, “We’ve got this.”
After reconciling with his diagnosis, Cameron and Vanessa emotionally shared with their children his cancer diagnosis.
WATCH: How to talk to your children about your diagnosis.
“We told them I had cancer in my kidney and that I had the best doctor in the world who felt the prognosis was very positive…They, of course, were loving and supportive,” Cameron said, adding that it was one of the hardest things he’d done in his life.
As Cameron and Vanessa step into this new chapter in their lives, they’ve asked for privacy. The social media post garnered over 22,000 likes in just a few hours.
Helping Patients Cope with a Cancer Diagnosis
Family Impact of Cancer
Research published in The Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine studied the impact of disease on family members. The researchers noted that: “Most chronic diseases have similar effects on family members [as they do on the patient], including psychological and emotional functioning, disruption of leisure activities, effect on interpersonal relationships, and financial resources.”
Feelings of “helplessness, lack of control, anger, embarrassment” are some common emotions parents, siblings, and other relatives within the household of someone battling a health condition may experience, according to researchers.
Other ways a disease, for example, may impact the lives of family members include:
- Affecting sleep
- Concerns about medical treatment
- Altered food choices
- Using religion, spiritual, and cultural beliefs to cope
- Concerns about understanding the disease or illness
- Needing support from others
- Limited freedom
- Worrying about the death of a loved one
Our experts agree that forming a strong support system can help everyone in the family cope with the challenges a diagnosis can bring. These situations can be opportunities to strengthen families and bring them closer together.
More on Cameron’s Cancer Journey
Mathison’s cancer journey began in 2019 when he was diagnosed with renal cell carcinoma, a type of kidney cancer. According to the National Cancer Institute, common symptoms of kidney cancer include blood in the urine, persistent pain in your side, unexplained weight loss, or a lump in your abdomen.
Mathison underwent surgery to rid himself of the cancerous tumor.
Last year, he told Entertainment Tonight that he was “feeling strong” and healthy after his cancer.
“I think I’m as strong as I was in my mid-20s. I have more energy than I had 20 years ago,” Mathison said.
He said his experience with cancer changed his outlook on life.
“If you go through a cancer journey, where I didn’t know if I was going to die or not or what, you can’t go through something like that without it moving you. My willingness and desire to help others have really increased my gratitude for enjoying life. I think maybe it’s also influenced my decision to have more balance in my life and not work nonstop,” he said.
He still undergoes health checks to ensure the cancer has not returned.
“I’m back here at USC Keck for my CT scan, chest X-rays, and bloodwork to make sure I can say three years cancer-free,” Mathison wrote in a previous Instagram post.
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