Alexx Ekubo, a Nollywood actor, on Monday, May 11, died from complications arising from advanced metastatic kidney cancer.
This was contained in a statement released by the family which was shared on the actor’s official Instagram page on Wednesday.
According to the family, Ekubo passed away at Evercare Hospital after a “brief but courageous battle” with the illness.
The family described the late actor as a beloved husband, son, brother and friend.
“He endured his health challenges with “remarkable strength, unwavering faith, and enduring hope.”
It partly reads, “After a brief but courageous battle, Alexx passed away at Evercare Hospital due to complications arising from advanced metastatic kidney cancer.
In the spirit of education and enlightenment, WITHIN NIGERIA researched about ‘Metastatic Kidney Cancer’ and provided findings of the research as follows:
WHAT IS METASTATIC KIDNEY CANCER?
It is also known as the cancer of the kidney. It is a cancer that spreads beyond the kidney to other parts of the body. It starts when malignant cells in the kidney, most commonly renal cell carcinoma, break away from the original tumor and travel through the bloodstream or lymphatic system.
The most frequent sites it spreads to are the lungs, bones, liver, brain, and distant lymph nodes. At this stage it’s called Stage IV or metastatic disease, and it’s no longer considered a localized problem that can be removed with surgery alone.
THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT METASTATIC KIDNEY CANCER
About one-third of renal cell carcinoma cases are already metastatic at diagnosis
The most common places it spreads to are lungs, bones, brain, and liver
Early-stage kidney cancer often has no symptoms.
When it’s metastatic, symptoms depend on where it spread.
Blood in urine, back/side pain, lump in abdomen.
Fever, weight loss, fatigue, night sweats
Swelling in legs/feet, high blood pressure, high calcium.
Symptoms in different body locations:
Lungs – Cough, shortness of breath
Bones – Bone pain, fractures
Brain – Headaches, seizures, dizziness
Liver – Jaundice, belly swelling
Adrenal gland – Back/abdominal pain, digestive issues.
5-year relative survival for distant/metastatic kidney cancer is roughly 15–19%.
Median survival without modern therapies was 6–12 months.
Outcomes depend heavily on _where_ it spread:
Lung metastases: Median overall survival ∼25.1 months
Bone metastases: ∼19.4 months
Liver metastases: ∼17.6 months
Brain metastases: Poor prognosis, but some drugs like cabozantinib can cross the blood-brain barrier.
Early detection changes things a lot. When caught early and confined to the kidney, 5-year survival exceeds 90%.
Treatment goal is usually to control the cancer and manage symptoms, since it’s rarely cured at this stage.
Immunotherapy: Boosts your immune system to fight cancer cells. Often first-line now.
Targeted therapies: Drugs that block proteins/blood vessels tumors need to grow.
Combination therapy: Immunotherapy + targeted therapy is common and has improved outcomes.
Surgery: Sometimes used to remove the kidney tumor, metastases, or for symptom relief/palliative care.
Radiation: Shrinks tumors and helps with pain, especially bone mets.
Ablation techniques: Radiofrequency or cryoablation for small tumors.
Treatment choice depends on your age, overall health, how far it’s spread, and where the metastases are.
Smoking, obesity, high blood pressure, long-term use of certain pain meds, family history, and genetic conditions.
It’s more common in men, usually around age 60–65
Even with stage IV, new medications are helping people live longer with fewer side effects.
Palliative care is a key part of managing pain and quality of life.
After kidney removal, most people adapt well with one kidney if the other is healthy.
