The actor opens up to ET about the support he's received since revealing his cancer battle on Tuesday.
Cameron Mathison is opening up about his cancer battle.
The Entertainment Tonight correspondent and Hallmark Channel host took to Instagram on Tuesday to open up about his recent diagnosis with renal cancer. On Wednesday, he shared more of his journey with ET's Kevin Frazier and Brooke Anderson, including how his family -- and two children -- have been by his side.
"It was tough to tell my kids... but man, I have just got such an incredible support system," revealed Mathison, who shares 16-year-old Lucas and 13-year-old Leila with his wife, Vanessa. "They've been so there for me and so encouraging."
The former soap star also expressed his gratitude for the messages he's received from fans and ET viewers. "It kind of blew me away," he confessed. "That helps a lot."
Mathison is scheduled for surgery on Tuesday afternoon. "I feel good. I feel optimistic going into this, honestly. I'm scared, you know it's a scary situation, but... I try to really look at things from a positive perspective," he shared.
"I think coming out of this, there's going to be no chemo, no radiation, as of now, which I feel grateful for," he added.
Mathison will spend a couple weeks in recovery, afterwhich he's hoping he'll be back to business as usual. "I feel like I'm in really good hands," he said. "I'll see you soon, cancer-free!"
The All My Children star opened up more about his cancer battle on Instagram on Tuesday. "I have a health situation that I want to share with you all," he wrote alongside a family photo.
"About a month ago, I had an MRI for some gut issues I’ve been having, and during that MRI they found a tumor on my right kidney. It’s consistent with Renal Cell Carcinoma ... or kidney cancer," he explained. "The good news is that it hasn’t spread to any other organs."
The actor revealed that his doctors estimate that the cancer has been growing inside him for "minimum 10 years," but they say that his "healthy lifestyle and diet has no doubt helped keep it from growing and spreading to other areas."
"I am extremely lucky that we found it early," he added, before explaining that he's got a surgery scheduled for Thursday, and he reached out to his friends and social media followers for some support.
"I was hoping to receive positive thoughts, prayers, or whatever you feel comfortable with, on 9/12," Mathison added. "Feeling very grateful and optimistic!!"
He also took the time to thank his doctor, his family and his co-workers for all their help and support in this challenging time.
"Thank you to my longtime friend and urologist @jon_giddens who has helped me tremendously through this process," he wrote. "Vanessa, Lucas and Leila have been absolutely amazing with their love and support... as have my mom, dad, brother, and everyone at Home and Family, Hallmark, and ET."
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