Entertainment
Cameron Mathison Opens Up About His Cancer Battle and New Game Show
Cameron Mathison is feeling healthier and looking toward the future more than four years after he was declared cancer-free.
Mathison — who previously worked as an ET correspondent — recently sat down with ET’s Nischelle Turner and opened up about how he’s feeling, what he’s learned about himself, and his lessons for others when it comes to his health journey.
“I’m feeling so great,” Mathison, 54, shared with a smile. “You know that I work really hard at this and I take it real serious, as far as this transformation and rebounding from the cancer journey, specifically. But also [in terms of] longevity and continuing to do blood work and gut tests and hormone tests and then doing my MRIs and CT scans. And I keep on it the best I can.”
In 2019, Mathison revealed that he was diagnosed with kidney cancer and underwent an operation to treat it. Luckily, it was caught early and was the least aggressive form of the disease. At the time, the General Hospital star shared that his doctor said his healthy diet and lifestyle kept it from “growing and spreading to other areas.”
“Obviously, once you get cancer, it’s not great. It’s not a great prognosis after that,” Mathison shared. “So all we can do is get ahead of it and and I try to do that and stay positive.”
Mathison noted that he has always tried to “spread awareness as best as I can.”
“I took health seriously [before my diagnosis], and I thought, ‘I know a lot!’ And I think I did, from one perspective, for sure,” Mathison said. “But what saved my life… was paying attention to my body.”
“For two years, I insisted on this MRI, and eventually, they they said, ‘Maybe we should get one,'” he explained. “My blood work was a little off, not substantially, but I could feel it. I knew something was off.”
“One of the big takeaways that I love to spread is to really be your own best advocate for your health,” Mathison added. “Pay attention. It doesn’t mean you have to run out and get an MRI every time something’s off. But at the same time, you know, just listen to your body.”
Mathison spoke to ET back in December, revealing that he had just gotten his four-year checkup and felt “healthy, cancer-free, doing great, [and] stronger than I’ve ever been.”
Now, with his mental and physical health in balance and being cared for, Mathison is also celebrating his new role as a game show host, helming the new Game Show Network series Beat the Bridge.
The show features two teams of contestants who must cross the titular bridge by answering challenging trivia questions. Correct answers get cash added to each team’s bank and allow the player to keep on crossing. However, incorrect answers mean the player’s journey across the bridge comes to an end.
“For me, it’s something that I’ve wanted to do,” Mathison told ET of hosting a game show. “I’ve always felt it was gonna be a great fit. I don’t know if you’ve noticed in our friendship, but I got a lot of energy. I got a lot of enthusiasm. I’m a pretty positive guy. And I just thought it would be a good fit — and it really was.”
When it comes to hosting a game show, Mathison explained that the role requires “a unique set of skills,” which he’s honed over years on TV.
“I want to know these contestants. I want to know their backgrounds, what they’re into, their likes, so that when they’re playing, you can listen and be spontaneous,” Mathison shared. “You’ve got to drive it, you’ve got to know what’s coming up, you got to know what’s at stake. So that’s the set of skills that you got to have in the back of your mind. But then, you’ve just got to be in there and be in the moment.”
Beat the Bridge airs weeknights on the Game Show Network.
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