Title: G42 - Surviving Kidney Cancer

Intro: More people are surviving cancer than ever before. Take kidney cancer for example. If you have it you might not get symptoms until it's rather advanced. Not long ago a diagnosis like that was bad news. But now, thanks to technology, team work and medical expertise, people are beating this deadly disease. More from Mayo Clinic.

"YOU HAVE TO BE A THINKING PERSON TO BE A GOOD FLY FISHERMAN BECAUSE THE FISH ARE TYPICALLY A LOT SMARTER THAN YOU. (HA.HA.)"

IT TAKES A PRETTY CRAFTY TROUT TO OUTSMART MICKEY PAYNE. AN OUTDOORSMAN WITH A DOCTORATE IN THE NATURAL SCIENCES.

"THE WATER LOOKS A LITTLE MURKY TODAY, BUT WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO COAX ONE OUT."

MICKEY'S NOT EASILY FOOLED BY THE FISH, BUT HE SURE HIT A SNAG WHEN KIDNEY CANCER MIMICKED WHAT HE THOUGHT WAS A MASSIVE HEART ATTACK.

"IT WAS A SHOOTING PAIN, BUT IT WAS DEEP INSIDE."

MICKEY'S SYMPTOMS FELT LIKE A HEART ATTACK BECAUSE THE TUMOR, WHICH STARTED IN HIS KIDNEY, GREW OUT AND INTO A MAJOR VEIN AND UP INTO HIS HEART. THEN A PIECE OF IT BROKE OFF AND LODGED IN HIS PULMONARY ARTERY BLOCKING BLOOD FLOW.

"THIS WAS A CRITICAL EVENT FOR THIS PATIENT. HE WAS EXTREMELY LUCKY THAT HE GOT TO MEDICAL CARE IN TIME."

DR. MICHAEL BLUTE HEADED THE TEAM AT MAYO CLINIC THAT OPERATED ON MICKEY. FIRST THEY USED CT SCANS AND OTHER IMAGING TESTS TO PINPOINT THE CANCER. THEN A CARDIAC SURGEON PERFORMED OPEN HEART SURGERY TO REMOVE THE TUMOR IN THE PULMONARY ARTERY AND HEART.

"THEN WE REMOVED THE REST OF THE CANCER THAT WAS IN HIS KIDNEY."

AND IN THE VEIN CALLED THE VENA CAVA. A COMPLICATED OPERATION, BUT THANKS TO TECHNOLOGY AND EXPERTISE, MICKEY IS LIVING.

THERE'S A CHANCE MICKEY'S CANCER COULD COME BACK. SO HE'S TAKING THE TIME TO ENJOY WHAT MATTERS. BEING SURROUNDED BY NATURE ON A COOL TROUT STREAM.

"I CAN COME OUT HERE AND FORGET ABOUT EVERYTHING AND JUST CONCENTRATE ON TRYING TO FIND A FISH I'M A LITTLE BIT SMARTER THAN."

FOR MEDICAL EDGE, I'M VIVIEN WILLIAMS.

Tag: Mickey is one of the 20-percent of all kidney cancer patients whose cancer grows into a nearby vein. His tumor, which didn't cause symptoms until part of it broke off, was the size of a football.

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