Broncos RB, Ronnie Hillman died from rare kidney cancer that affects young black males the most

Former Denver Broncos running back and Super Bowl 50 champion Ronnie Hillman, 31, died early Thursday from a rare kidney cancer that affects more young black men.

Renal medullary carcinoma (RMC) is a cancer that most often affects people between the ages of 10 and 40, a form of the disease in which younger people are at higher risk. It is one of the most aggressive forms of kidney cancer.

About 80,000 Americans are diagnosed each year, and it is the cause of 14,000 deaths in the US. It has a median survival rate of just four months after diagnosis, making it one of the deadliest cancers known.

It almost exclusively affects people born with sickle cell trait, a genetic mutation carried by up to 3 million Americans. African Americans are most at risk, as it affects up to 10 percent of people in the demographic.

Hillman was diagnosed with the condition in August. He was undergoing treatment, but his family said he was unsuccessful.

“It is with a heavy heart that we announce the passing of our loving son, brother and father, Ronnie K Hillman Jr,” a post on the broker’s Instagram account read.

“Ronnie transitioned smoothly and peacefully today in the company of his family and close friends.”

The running back was drafted by the Broncos in 2012 and was with the team for four years. He won a Super Bowl with the organization in 2016.

He had brief stints with the Minnesota Vikings, San Diego Chargers and Dallas Cowboys before leaving professional football in 2017.

Hillman’s family said he entered hospice care Tuesday due to complications from both the cancer and pneumonia.

Denver Broncos running back Ronnie Hillman (23) rushes to score during the fourth quarter against the Los Angeles Rams, August 27, 2016.

The Broncos released a team statement Thursday after Hillman’s death on Wednesday.

A report 2014 by researchers at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center explains that CMR primarily affects young black men, who are twice as likely to develop the disease.

in a report 2017 by Turkish researchers, it is described as having a “very poor prognosis”.

It almost exclusively affects people who are born with sickle-shaped red blood cells.

This genetic mutation, which occurs in up to one percent of Americans, but in 10 percent of black Americans.

It occurs when a person has a copy of the sickle cell trait from their parents. This is different from the dangerous sickle cell disease, in which a person acquires the mutation from both parents.

While sickle cell trait is harmless on its own, it puts those who carry it at significant risk.

However, complications can arise throughout a person’s life, such as muscle breakdown, reduced blood supply to the spleen, which damages the organ, and glaucoma.

The most dangerous ailment often associated with sickle cell trait is RMC.

It is not clear why exactly the condition develops. While its similarity to sickle cell trait would explain why it affects black people more, scientists have not determined why it affects young black men in particular.

The average age of diagnosis is 27 years, with cases over 35 being especially rare.

Cancer risks often increase with age, making CMR a rarity among these types of diseases.

Also, unlike other types of cancer, there are no genetic risks of developing the cancer.

A person who carries sickle cell trait is just as likely to have the disease whether or not one of the parents also developed it.

Kidney cancer can quickly kill those who have it, and experts urge a person to seek medical attention immediately after experiencing symptoms.

Early symptoms include blood in the urine and pain around the kidney. Over time, some will feel a mass develop in the abdomen, lose weight, and suffer from night sweats.

In most cases, cancer will first develop in a person’s right kidney.

The cancerous growth will spread to other parts of the body in 95 percent of cases soon after diagnosis.

Cancer that spreads, called metastasis, is more difficult to treat since it is now damaging an even larger part of the body. Metastasis occurs in 90 percent of deaths.

The malignant growth will most commonly spread to a person’s lungs, liver, lymph nodes (in the neck and armpit), and hormone glands.

It is usually treated with chemotherapy and radiation therapy.