K-pop idol Nam Woo-hyun, 32, a member of boy band Infinite, has revealed his battle with a rare form of cancer.
Last May 13, Nam Woo Hyun (남우현) performed at the Miss Universe Philippines Coronation Night at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
Before this, the Korean singer underwent surgery for his cancer.
Nam Woo Hyun at the Miss Universe Philippines Coronation Night on May 13 at the SM Mall of Asia Arena (Instagram)
“I had cancer and had surgery at the end of April. It was a major surgery that took about 10 hours under general anesthesia,” Nam Woo-hyun told Korean media as he released his first solo album “Whitree” on Nov. 28.
He revealed that he had gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST), which, according to the Mayo Clinic website, “is a type of cancer that begins in the digestive system. GISTs happen most often in the stomach and small intestine.”
“A GIST is a growth of cells that's thought to form from a special type of nerve cells. These special nerve cells are in the walls of the digestive organs. They play a part in the process that moves food through the body. Small GISTs may cause no symptoms, and they may grow so slowly that they don't cause problems at first. As a GIST grows, it can cause signs and symptoms,” it added.
He said a small tumor discovered during a checkup two years ago had grown into a 4 cm lump and he decided to undergo surgery after learning it could grow to up to 15 cm if left alone.
"I opened my eyes and my stomach was split open. I panicked for a week. I couldn't breathe and it was hard to eat. I couldn't eat for two months. I was really thinking about all sorts of things. I got through it well thanks to the support from my parents, company, and members,” he said.
He said his abdomen was cut about 20 cm and he still has a severe scar as a result.
“I won’t be able to sing as well as I used to, and it will be three to four times as difficult. I have trouble breathing when I dance and sing,” he said.
Nam Woo-hyun said he didn’t tell fellow Infinite members about his condition. Infinite released the album “13egin” last July.
"Don't you get upset when celebrities talk about being sick? That's why I didn't tell them. Infinite's album was almost postponed because of me, but I thought it would be good to be sick on stage even if it hurt, so I went ahead with it. I endured it,” he said.
About his current health condition, he said he is “fine.”
"I thought, 'Should I quit all my work and take my own time?' But thanks to the encouragement from those around me, I was able to get back on my feet. I recovered quickly and am exercising regularly. I had a follow-up test not long ago and the wound healed well,” he said.
According to the Mayo Clinic website, as GIST grows, it can have symptoms. These include "abdominal pain, a growth you can feel in your abdomen, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, cramping pain in the abdomen after eating, not feeling hungry when you would expect to, feeling full if you eat only a small amount of food and dark-colored stools caused by bleeding in the digestive system."
“GISTs can happen in people at any age, but they are most common in adults and very rare in children. The cause of most GISTs isn't known. A small number are caused by genes passed from parents to children,” it added.