I was a pro wrestling star but my promising career was suddenly stopped – now I’ve starred in a film
A PROFESSIONAL wrestler has survived the fight of his life after beating kidney cancer.
Adil Malik, 28, has now made a documentary called Wrestling with Cancer about his struggle with the deadly disease.
Not known, clear with picture deskProfessional wrestler Adil Malik as his wrestling alter-ego RoadFam[/caption]
SWNSMalik has released a documentary about his cancer battle[/caption]
As a 25-year-old, wrestler Malik said he felt “indestructible” and vlogged his fitness journey before he noticed he was losing his appetite.
He told the BBC: “I was eating six meals a day, slowly it went down to five, four, three, two a day.”
The east Londoner went to the doctor and was sent home with antibiotics, but after the blood didn’t disappear he returned.
Malik then saw specialists and was diagnosed with stage three renal cell carcinoma after they found an 8cm tumor growing on his kidney.
Speaking to Essex Live he said: “Being 25, you think you are indestructible… I was a wrestler, I was fit and healthy. I wondered if I was ever going to wrestle again. But the challenge was to remain positive.”
Malik then faced the removal of one of his kidneys at the Royal Free Hospital – which went successfully.
He filmed that journey and its highs and lows and turned it into his Wrestling with Cancer doc.
The film also features other young people who have had cancer and has been shown at several film festivals.
He said: “I come in for check-ups every now and then to make sure the cancer hasn’t returned and I am in the best shape of my life. I am back wrestling which is great – I am doing something that I love.”
He’s now encouraging other men to go and get checked if they notice something strange as part of an NHS campaign.
He said: “I know men often don’t like going to the doctor but it’s really important as it could be something serious. If I hadn’t caught my cancer in time, who knows what would have happened.”
As part of the campaign, urinal mats will be placed in pubs and football grounds across the country, advising men to get checked if any symptoms occur.
High-profile cases of cancer do lead to an increase in the number of checks amongst the general public.
Searches for skin cancer information have rocketed since Sarah Ferguson revealed her “shock” diagnosis last week.
The Duchess of York said doctors found she has skin cancer just six months after surgery for a breast tumour.
In the next 48 hours, visits to the NHS melanoma skin cancer information page surged eight-fold.
What is kidney cancer and what are its symptoms?
Renal cell carcinoma is the most common type of kidney cancer in adults. It happens when a tumor grows on the bean-shaped organs that sit on either side of your spine. Often there are no obvious symptoms, but they can include:
Blood in your urine, which may appear pink, red or cola colored
Pain in your back or side that doesn’t go away
Loss of appetite
Unexplained weight loss
Tiredness
Fever
instagram/adilthemalikMalik had NHS surgery to remove the 8cm tumor on his kidney[/caption]
YouTubeMalik lifting a belt during a wrestling bout[/caption]
